Foreign minister Park Jin held phone conversations with his counterparts in Israel, the United Arab Emirates(UAE) and Jordan to discuss concerns over rising fatalities amid Israel's expanded ground operation in Gaza.

During talks with Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen on Sunday, Park strongly condemned the indiscriminate attacks by Palestine's Hamas militants, while wishing for a prompt release of hostages.

The South Korean minister stressed the importance of abiding by international laws on the protection of civilians, calling for the prevention of further harm to innocent noncombatants.

Speaking to his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, Park said the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas must not be expanded, agreeing on the need for a humanitarian ceasefire.

The minister also sought cooperation for the safety of South Koreans in Israel, Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.