Russia's Lavrov urges Israel and Palestinians not to worsen tensions

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged senior Palestinian and Israeli diplomats by phone on Sunday to do their utmost to avoid escalating a surge in violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, his ministry said.

"Sergey Lavrov called on the Israeli and Palestinian partners to show maximum responsibility and refrain from any actions that could provoke further degradation of the situation," it said in a statement.

Lavrov also said there was an "acute" need for the "Quartet" of international mediators to restart peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian representatives, according to the statement.

Israeli police sealed off the Jerusalem family home of a Palestinian gunman on Sunday. He had killed seven people outside a synagogue the day after Israeli forces killed seven militants and two civilians in a raid on the West Bank.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Kevin Liffey)