Dubai - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made an appeal on Thursday to the people of the Gaza Strip to call on Hamas to stop rocket attacks on Israel.

Olmert appealed to Gaza residents through an interview with the Dubai-based al-Arabiya, the news channel confirmed to Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa. A summary of the programme was to be aired later Thursday.

"I say to you, in a last-minute call, 'stop it'," Olmert said in the interview. "Stop it, you the citizens of Gaza - you can stop it."

Violence has flared in the Gaza Strip since the previous six-month ceasefire ended last week. Hamas has fired rockets and mortars into Israel, so far killing no one, and Israel has launched airstrikes against the militants.

More than 60 rockets from Gaza slammed into Israeli homes on Wednesday and an Israeli airstrike killed a Hamas militant in the latest surge in violence.

Olmert agreed to convey his message through al-Arabiya channel for its high viewership and popularity among the people of Gaza, Mohamed Abdel-Raouf, an editor in al-Arabiya, told dpa. (dpa)