Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen on Downing Street in London, Britain October 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Yara Nardi.

JNS.org – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Israel and the Palestinians on Wednesday to “step back from the brink” and “show restraint” as violence heightened between both sides.

He said the United Kingdom “is deeply concerned by the growing violence and civilian casualties, and we want to see an urgent de-escalation of tensions.”

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote on Twitter on Monday that the United Kingdom condemns the firing of rockets at Jerusalem and other locations in Israel. He added that “the ongoing violence in Jerusalem and Gaza must stop. We need an immediate de-escalation on all sides and an end to the targeting of civilian populations.”

The UK’s foreign-office minister James Cleverley called the ongoing violence “deeply concerning,” according to the BBC. He said, “This cycle of violence must stop, and every effort must be made to avoid the loss of life, especially that of children.”