MOSCOW, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday called on Israel and Lebanon to exercise restraint following a brief exchange of fire on the border between the two countries.

    "It is particularly important for all parties to exercise restraint and to show a sense of responsibility," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted a statement issued by the ministry as saying.

    "There should be no provocations that could affect the situation in the region, where everything is closely intertwined and the situation is strained to the limit as a result of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation in Gaza," the statement said.

    Northern Israel was pounded Thursday morning by rockets fired from Lebanon, and the Israeli army fired back with a few artillery shells.

    The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, a Palestinian faction, claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.

    The incident heightened fears of a second front opening up in the Gaza conflict, which has left some 700 Palestinians dead and about 3,000 wounded since late December.