United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday urged restraint and asked for calm from all parties involved in the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours. “We need to be very careful and not to escalate and not to expand the area of conflict,” said Annan, responding to press reports that the Israeli Air Force flew into Syrian airspace. Syrian news media later reported that the Israeli planes had been repelled by Syrian air defense forces. Annan noted that he was following recent developments in the region “with great concern.” He also asked that the civilian populations not be made to suffer. The Israeli Defense Force on Wednesday destroyed three major bridges and a power station, cutting-off electricity and water supplies to the 1.3 million people residents of Gaza.
