UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday condemned the firing of rockets by militants from Gaza toward Israel on June 3, according to a statement by his spokesperson.

"He calls on all parties to avoid further escalation and prevent incidents that jeopardize the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians," said the statement.

The rockets were fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza toward southern Israel late Wednesday. They landed in open ground and caused no injuries, according to the Israeli military.

Early Thursday, Israeli warplanes struck multiple militant targets in the Gaza Strip, but caused no casualties, Palestinian security sources said.