United Nations: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has condemned the latest shooting incident in the West Bank town of Hebron that killed 12 Israelis, terming it as "the despicable terrorist attack".

"The Secretary General is horrified by the despicable terrorist attack," Annan's deputy spokesman Hua Jiang said in a statement.

"He condemns this latest terrorist attack against Israeli civilians in the strongest possible terms and conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the government of Israel," the spokesman said.

Hua said, "The Secretary General reiterates his appeal to all Palestinian groups to stop all such acts of senseless violence, which are extremely harmful to the Palestinian cause."

Annan "remains firmly convinced that there is no alternative to a political solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", he said.

The Secretary General says the roadmap of the diplomatic Quartet, the UN, European Union, Russian Federation and the United States, to be completed in December "deserves the most serious consideration by both parties", the spokesman added.

Twelve Israelis, including three Jewish settlers, were killed and at least 15 others injured in Hebron in back-to-back ambushes by Palestinian gunmen on November 15 night.

The gunmen opened fire on worshippers who were on their way to the Sabbath eve prayers.

PTI