MOSCOW, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for a ceasefire in Gaza Strip during phone talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the Kremlin said on Sunday.

    "The Russian side expressed serious concerns over multiple victims among civilians and a difficult humanitarian situation. The Russian president also stressed the importance of the swiftest possible ceasefire," Interfax news agency cited a Kremlin statement as saying.

    Medvedev and Olmert "discussed the situation evolving in the region because of hostilities in the Gaza Strip," it said.

    The statement pledged that Russia will continue assisting the effort of the international community within the framework of the United Nations Security Council and the quartet of the Middle East mediators in order to normalize the situation in the region.

    Israel's ground troops entered the Gaza Strip ruled by Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Saturday for the second phase of offensive on the militant group following a week-long air strikes.

    Israel's military action, aimed at retaliating for Hamas militants' rocket attacks into Israel, has killed more than 500 Palestinians and wounded over 2,600 others in the past week.