Moscow was concerned with the escalation of tension in the Gaza Strip resulted in the death of civilians, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

"Escalation of tension around Gaza accompanied with casualties among Palestinian and Israeli civilians concerns Moscow deeply," the ministry said in a statement published on its website.

Moscow urged both sides to exercise restraint and not to spin up the violence.

The ministry said Russia upheld Egypt's efforts to cease fire around the Gaza Strip and reintroduce the lull in the conflict.

In October, Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, and Israel reached a calm agreement brokered by Cairo.

Moscow said that Israel's decision to build 1,285 households in the Eastern Jerusalem and West Bank announced last week has aggravated the situation.

The latest round of tit-for-tat violence erupted Saturday evening when militants fired an anti-tank missile at a Israel's army jeep carrying out a routine patrol along the security barrier with central Gaza, wounding four soldiers.

The sides have kept exchanging fire during the weekend, with Israel's air forces striking targets in Gaza Strip while several hundreds of missiles struck the southern Israeli town of Sderot.

According to reports, at lest six Palestinians were killed in the recent violence; a number of Israeli residents also were wounded. Endi

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