UN Chief Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that he was deeply alarmed by the current escalation of violence in and around Gaza, and that such continued violence is " unacceptable."
"I have been repeatedly condemning the rocket attacks by Hamas militants against Israel. While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I have also condemned the excessive use of force by Israel in Gaza," Ban told a press conference at UN Headquarters, according to Xinhua.
The secretary-general said he was "profoundly saddened" by the suffering caused to civilian populations as a result of the "large- scale violence and destruction" in the past few days.