United Nations: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on Israel to halt its military incursion into Gaza even as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon threatened to escalate the offensive saying troops would remain there until Palestinians stopped rocket attacks against the Jewish State.

In his statement yesterday (Oct 3, 2004), Annan also called on the Palestinian Authority to take action to halt the firing of rockets against Israeli targets by the militants.

The Secretary General said both sides have a legal obligation to protect all civilians.

At least 66 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed in the latest offensive, including 10 Palestinians killed yesterday, after Sharon sent in about 2,000 troops on Wednesday (Sep 29, 2004) in response to a rocket attack that killed two pre-school children in the town of Sderot.

Palestinians alleged that the Israeli military has destroyed homes and torn up roads in the fighting concentrated near the Jebaliya refugee camp.