Saturday, July 1 2006 11:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: The current 'grave crisis' in Gaza strip could easily set off another conflict between Palestinians and Israelis unless all sides back off from the brink, a top United Nations official has warned.

"All concerned parties must step back from the brink and give dialogue a chance to avert a full-scale confrontation that will only lock Israelis and Palestinians in deeper and deadlier conflict," UN Assistant-Secretary-General for political affairs Angela Kane told the Security Council yesterday (June 30, 2006).

Kane said all parties to realize that the escalating violence has created a "grave crisis" and a full-scale conflict would put the civilians in greater danger and have serious repercussions for the region as a whole.

"All concerned parties must step back from the brink, and give dialogue a chance to avert a full-scale confrontation that will only lock Israelis and Palestinians in deeper and deadlier conflict," she said.

Asking Palestinians to stop holding hostages and end indiscriminate rocket attacks and Israel to stop destroying infrastructure in the Gaza strip, she asserted that "nothing justifies" such actions.

She also expressed concern over the arrest of a large number of elected representatives of the Palestinian government.

Israel military action comes as a pressure tactics to force Palestinians release a kidnapped soldier. The kidnappers are demanding that Israel release around 100 Palestinians in its prisons.