Wednesday, March 15 2006 13:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: The UN Security Council has asked both Israelis and Palestinians to exercise maximum restraint and take urgent steps to restore calm as fresh violence forced the UN and its agencies to withdraw almost all international staff from Gaza and restrict their movement in the West bank.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan too has made similar appeal to both sides In a statement after a closed-door briefing by Ibrahim Gambari, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, the Council called for the release of all those kidnapped.

In his briefing, Gambari also expressed concern over the situation. "Israel's violent incursion as well as the Palestinian actions carried out in response risk destabilising even further the already tense situation in the Middle East."

He said the violence occurred as news spread of Israeli forces attacking a prison compound in Jericho and taking into custody, among many other prisoners, Ahmed Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who had been accused of murdering an Israeli Minister in 2001.

The Israeli operation, which lasted about 10 hours, took place after the US and Britain withdrew monitors from the prison. They left yesterday in response to a statement by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas indicating that he would consider releasing Saadat under certain conditions.

In the ensuing protests, at least seven foreigners in the West Bank and Gaza were kidnapped by militants, though several were subsequently released.

One PFLP gunman was killed in a clash with Palestinian police trying to prevent the kidnappings, Gambari said. PFLP militants and other protesters set fire to the British Council, stormed the building used by the European Commission and attacked a British facility in Ramallah.