Putin urges Israel to stop armed violence

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the armed violence in southern regions and the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.

"Russia stressed the need for a swift end to the armed confrontation, which causes numerous civil casualties," the Kremlin said after the two leaders conversation over the phone. "It is of strong need to break this vicious circle of violence and stop the suffering of people." 

Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday reminded Russian citizens in Israel and Palestinian territory to be extremely cautious. 

Netanyahu said earlier in the same day that at this point there are no negotiations over a ceasefire agreement.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to work jointly to ensure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in the same day.

Israeli started Tuesday a military operation dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" to curb fire rockets from Gaza over the past few days. Netanyahu said Wednesday he instructed the military to expand its attacks against Hamas until the rocket fire ceases and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that the operation will not end soon. 

As of Thursday afternoon, the Israeli Air Force struck down about 800 targets in the Gaza Strip which killed 80 Palestinians, plus more than 500 injuries in the attacks, according to Palestinian medical sources. 

A fresh Israeli airstrike killed late Thursday a Palestinian who was driving a motorbike, while two bystanders were wounded in central Gaza Strip, medics and witnesses said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, a health ministry spokesman, said in a press statement that both the killed and the injured were moved to a local hospital.

Witnesses said that an Israeli war jet fired one missile at the motorbike in town of Deir el-Ballah, adding that one of the two wounded civilians is in critical conditions.

Al-Qedra said the death toll now stands at 87, while a total of 670 were wounded since the Israelis began its airstrikes campaign against targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Israeli Radio reported that more rockets and projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli towns and cities.

Hamas armed wing al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility of launching dozens of long-range and medium range rockets into central and southern Israeli cities, towns and communities in response to the killing of Palestinian civilians. 

Source: ANTARA