France Says Mideast Escalation 'Extremely Dangerous'

France said Sunday the escalation in violence in the Palestinian territories and Jerusalem was "extremely worrying and dangerous".

The office of President Francois Hollande said "everything must be done to calm the situation and end this cycle (of violence) which has already caused too many victims".

A pregnant woman and her two-year-old daughter were killed in an Israeli air strike and a Palestinian woman set off a bomb early Sunday in mounting violence that has led to fears of a wider uprising, or intifada.

"This new worsening of the situation also confirms the urgency of restarting political efforts," France said, adding that Paris "will not spare any effort in working towards this".