The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Wednesday called on the United States to immediately intervene to stop the escalation of violence between the Israeli army and militant groups led by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

However, the Islamic movement, which rules the coastal enclave, warned of "dangerous consequences" on the entire region due to the Israeli airstrikes on the militants targets. Hamas' armed wing, al- Qassam Brigade, leads the retaliation on Israel.

Since Monday, eight Palestinians have been killed, including five militants, two teenagers and a 2-year-old girl, and 13 have been wounded in a new wave of violence in the Gaza Strip between militant groups led by Hamas and the Israeli army.

A fresh Israeli airstrike was carried out on the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, when an Israeli missile targeted a militant. Sources in the town said the militant, Ghaleb Irmeilat, 21, is a member of the radical al-Qaeda affiliated Salafi groups.

Al-Qassam Brigade has claimed responsibility for launching more than 45 Grad and rockets at central and southern Israel. The group said the rockets fired at Israel "are in retaliation for the endless Israeli assaults on the Palestinian people and their resistance groups."

On Wednesday, Israeli helicopters and war jets carried out seven successive air strikes on various targets in northern, central and southern Gaza Strip, including weapons, rockets launchers and garages.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who is currently in Washington to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, told Voice of Palestinian Radio that "The Israeli escalation of violence on the Gaza Strip is unjustified and condemned on all levels."

He accused the Israeli army of "committing unjustified massacres against the population of the Gaza Strip," adding that he would ask Clinton "to intervene to stop this violence immediately." Erekat will also hold talks with U.S. peace envoy David Hale "to discuss the ongoing Israeli assaults."

Meanwhile, spokesman of the deposed government of Hamas, Taher al-Nouno, held Israel fully responsible "for the dangerous consequences of the military escalation in Gaza that would harm the whole region of the Middle East." He told Xinhua that "Israel must stop this aggression immediately."

Meanwhile, well-informed Palestinian sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the Egyptian contacts started early Wednesday to end violence in Gaza and get back to a calm understanding brokered by Egypt several times between the two sides.

"Officials in the Egyptian intelligence services are holding intensive contacts with various parties, mainly Israel and leaders of various militant groups to put an end to the ongoing escalation of violence and stop it from further expanding," said the sources.

The last wave of violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups broke out in March this year, leaving 26 Palestinians killed and 80 wounded.

The escalation lasted for four days and militants from Gaza fired more than 100 rockets at southern Israel, until Egypt and Turkey intervened and renewed the calm agreement between the two sides.