Special report: New violence between Israel, Palestine

    RAMALLAH, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged the United States to press Israel to stop military escalation against the Palestinians, mainly in the Gaza Strip, an aide to Abbas said on Saturday.

    Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told reporters that during a Friday phone conversation between Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Abbas called for U.S. intervention to get Israel to stop launching air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

    So far this month, over 20 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed by Israeli strikes targeting Palestinian militants in Gaza, said Abed Rabbo.

    Rice, on her part, pledged to press Israel to work to instill calm in the region, said Abed Rabbo, adding that the U.S. official also urged Abbas to exert efforts to achieve calm.

    Israel has expressed regret for the loss of civilian lives in the air strikes, but said that it would continue to target militants who fire rockets onto Israel.

    Palestinian militants have recently stepped up rockets attacks against the Jewish state, but the attacks rarely result in casualties. Enditem