Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Foreign Ministry of Malaysia hascalled on Israel to respect international law and relevant resolutions of theUnited Nations in order to maintain peace, security and stability in theregion.

In its statement issued late on March 27, the ministry said Malaysia wasgravely concerned over the escalation of violence in Gaza due to the disproportionateuse of force by Israel.

“Over the past few days, both sides had been engaged in roundsof rocket launches. Hundreds of missiles have also been fired from Israeliwarplanes and their military assets are amassing at the Gaza border causingfear and panic among innocent Palestinian civilians,” it said.

“The current developments in Gaza continue to reflect a situation that isdeeply alarming. History has shown that such irresponsible acts have thepotential to escalate and endanger innocent lives of defenceless Palestiniancivilians,” the statement said.

It also added that any further provocation and threats will also hamper effortsfor peace, noting that it is imperative that all parties immediately step backand adhere to the ceasefire already declared to avoid exacerbating the situation.

The Israeli armed forces began launching attacks on the Palestinians in theGaza Strip last Monday after claiming that Hamas fighters had attacked andinjured seven Israeli nationals in Tel Aviv several hours earlier.-VNA