Russia has urged the Palestinian leadership to take measures to prevent anti-Israeli attacks following the latest shootings which left six people dead.
Palestinian leaders should "do all they can to stop extremists from committing such crimes in the future," foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in a statement.
The statement also called on Israel to "refrain from responding to the provocation" of the attacks which came on the first day of a top-level US peace mission aimed at ending 14 months of violence that has left almost 1,000 people dead.
Six people were killed during shooting incidents yesterday involving hardline Palestinian gunmen in the northern Israeli town of Afula and in Gaza.
Russia expressed "particular concern that this bloody act was staged when possibilities had emerged to improve contacts aimed at overcoming the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation."
Moscow has traditionally supported the Palestinians in the Middle East conflict, although its relations with Israel have warmed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia is a co-sponsor of the Middle East peace process with the United States.
AFP