UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Tuesday strongly condemned an attack on a synagogue in West Jerusalem, which claimed four lives and injured several persons, calling on both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to "take actions to address the very tense situation in Jerusalem."
"Beyond today's reprehensible incident, clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces continue on a near daily basis in many parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank," said a statement issued by Ban's spokesman.
"The secretary-general condemns all acts of violence against civilians," the statement said. "Attacks against religious sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank point to an additional dangerous dimension to the conflict which reverberates far beyond the region. "
The UN chief extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery, said the statement.
"The secretary-general calls for political leadership and courage on both sides to take actions to address the very tense situation in Jerusalem," the statement said. "All sides must avoid using provocative rhetoric which only encourages extremist elements."
In this regard, Ban welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas'condemnation of the attack, said the statement.
"The steadily worsening situation on the ground only reinforces the imperative for leaders on both sides to make the difficult decisions that will promote stability and ensure long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians," the statement said.
Four Israelis were killed and eight others injured in the militant attack at the synagogue in West Jerusalem on Tuesday, reports said.
Tuesday's attack is another incident in a chain that have taken place in Jerusalem, as tensions between Jews and Arabs are mounting. On Sunday evening, a 32-year-old Jewish man was stabbed and moderately injured by an apparent Palestinian perpetrator.
Last week, two Israelis were killed in separate attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank, amid several other sporadic run-over attacks in Jerusalem as clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces continued there.
The tensions largely stem from the expansion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, territories which were annexed by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War but were home to more than 300,000 Palestinians. Violence was also triggered during clashes over the status quo of al-Aqsa Mosque, or Temple Mount complex referred to by Jews, a holy site to both Jews and Muslims.