BEIJING, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from around the world Sunday continued to condemn the escalation of violence in Gaza and called for peace in the region.

    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was saddened by the Palestinian casualties and called for an immediate end to all acts of violence in Gaza and southern Israel.

    In a statement Sunday, Ban said he deplores the fact "that violence is continuing today."

    President of the UN General Assembly Miguel D'Escoto said the Israeli air strikes "represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an occupying power and in the requirements of the laws of war."

    "The behavior by Israel in bombarding Gaza is simply the commission of wanton aggression by a very powerful state against a territory that (it) illegally occupies," he said in a statement.

    French President Nicolas Sarkozy "strongly condemned the provocation that led to this situation and the disproportionate use of force," according to a statement Sunday from the Elysee Palace.

    He regretted the loss of lives and called for an immediate end to rocket attacks on Israel and Israeli shelling on Gaza.

    Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for the immediate end to the violence in Gaza and urged the resumption of truce during a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Tzipora Livni.

    "The Russian minister stressed the need for renewed truce, which would ensure the security of civilians in southern Israel. The importance of humanitarian supplies to Gaza was emphasized," Itar-Tass cited a Foreign Ministry statement as saying.

    Also on Sunday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called for "an urgent ceasefire and immediate halt to all violence" in Gaza.

    "The deteriorating humanitarian situation is deeply disturbing," he said in a statement.

    Jordan announced Sunday that it had summoned the Israeli charged' affaires in protest against the "unjustified" attacks launched by Israel against the Gaza Strip.

    The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also handed him "a strongly worded memorandum" against "Israel's unjustified aggression against Gaza," the state-run Petra news agency said.

    Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, in a statement Sunday, said his country has always supported a just, peaceful and durable settlement of the issue of Palestine.

    He said the use of force not only contravened international principles and norms but would also be counter-productive.