G7 nations urge de-escalation in Middle East amid threat of broader conflict

BERLIN (Reuters) - The Group of Seven major democracies urged restraint and de-escalation in the Middle East on Monday, saying that recent events "threatened to ignite a broader conflict in the region."

The G7 urged "all involved parties once again to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions and engage constructively toward de-escalation," in a statement.

(Reporting by Friederike Heine; Editing by Bernadette Baum)