UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 14 -- Egypt and the United Nations (UN) are trying to prevent a "war" around Gaza amid escalating violence between the Palestinian enclave and Israel, a UN envoy said Thursday.

The escalation of violence is "dangerous," and Egypt and the UN "had worked hard" to prevent the situation "from leading to war," UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov was quoted as saying by Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at a press briefing here.

"The coming hours and days will be critical and that all must show maximum restraint and do their part to prevent bloodshed," said Mladenov. "The Middle East does not need more wars."

On Tuesday, some 190 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza as violence escalated after Israel killed Baha Abu al-Atta, a senior commander with the Islamic Jihad, in a predawn attack on his home in the al-Shuja'eya neighborhood in eastern Gaza.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict started more than 70 years ago following the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the West-backed creation of Israel in 1948.