"The king and Ban discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and the monarch warned against their repercussions for the entire region and its stability," the palace said in a statement.

The king "stressed the need to stop targeting civilians and respect international laws," it added.

Jordan's government has described the offensive as "barbaric" and "brutal."

Ban Sunday urged Israel to scrap plans for a ground offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip, saying that "too many" Palestinian civilians had been killed.

Despite international calls for an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Tel Aviv regime was hitting Gaza “with growing force” and that there was no end in sight.

The Israeli military has called up thousands of reservists for an all-out invasion of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has warned that it is prepared to hit back at Israeli forces if the Tel Aviv regime launches a ground attack against Gaza.

RA/NJF