(AFP) - The White House said Friday that it was "deeply concerned" about the escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, following the air raids launched by the Hebrew state on Gaza in response to rockets fired from the Strip in retaliation for the killing of nine Palestinians during an Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank .

John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, told reporters that the United States is "very concerned about the escalation of violence in the West Bank, as well as about the rockets that appear to have been fired from Gaza (...) We believe that all parties concerned should seek to urgently to defuse the crisis.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken heads to Egypt, then to Israel and the West Bank, against the backdrop of renewed violence in the region.

On Friday, the Israeli army launched raids on the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire from the Strip, after an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, the bloodiest in years.

"We are certainly aware of the challenges that Israel faces every day on the security front," Kirby added.

Blinken's visit to Israel comes a week after a similar visit by White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the United States' support.

For its part, France on Friday called on both Israel and the Palestinians to "refrain from fueling escalation."

"France expresses its deep concern about the risks of escalation, including in the Gaza Strip, following the operation carried out by the Israeli army yesterday in the Jenin camp in the West Bank, which reportedly resulted in the death of civilians.”

Legendre regretted that the violence in the West Bank resulted in the death of 30 Palestinians in January alone.

The spokeswoman stressed that France affirms its adherence to respect for international humanitarian law and "Israel's duty to protect civilians in occupied territories."

She added that Paris "calls on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from fueling escalation."

Legendre affirmed her country's adherence to the two-state solution, which provides for the establishment of a Palestinian state living with Israel "side by side in peace and security."

The spokeswoman stressed that France considers this "the only solution capable of guaranteeing a just and lasting peace for the Israelis and the Palestinians."