(VOVworld) – The Israel-Palestine conflict has “once again entered a dangerous phase,” United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Security Council on Thursday.

Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson addresses the Security Council open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. (UN Photo/Loey Felipe)

Mr. Eliasson strongly condemned recent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians and called on the parties involved to take all necessary steps to de-escalate the situation.

He said the violence gripping the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, and Gaza, showed no signs of abating.

He said Israel’s construction of residential areas was one of the reasons leading to the rising violence in Palestine’s occupied land.

At the debate, Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riad Malki, said the UN should exert more efforts to ensure that Israel maintains the status quo of Jerusalem and called for the agency to deal with the current instability.

Israel's new U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said the current tension was not a circle of violence but spontaneous attacks against Israelis. He said Israel has rights and obligations to protect their citizens.