CAIRO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Sunday denounced recent Israeli attacks against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying that the Israeli escalation would not help the Jewish state achieve security, the Egyptian official MENA news agency reported.

    "The Egyptian minister described the Israeli shelling which resulted in the killing of 14 Palestinians as an excessive use of force and a flagrant violation of international law that would in turn lead to further violence," said MENA.

    Israeli leaders should realize that its security would be achieved only through negotiations, not violence, Abul Gheit was quoted as saying.

    Israel has stepped up military operations over the weekend as a series of air strikes on the Gaza Strip Friday night and Saturday left 14 people dead.

    Israel said that the air raid was in response to intensified Palestinian rocket attacks. Enditem