Malaysia and Egypt have agreed to ask "international power brokers" to help stop escalating violence in the Middle East, the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian country said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement from his office that Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called him late Friday to discuss the latest Israeli air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Israeli air strikes on central and southern Gaza killed four people on Saturday, medics said, with Palestinian security sources confirming at least three of them were militants.

The latest deaths raised the overall death toll in Gaza to 34 as a relentless Israeli air campaign against Gaza militants entered its fourth straight day.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday reiterated U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the conflict in Gaza.

"The president reiterated U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself, and expressed regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives," the White House said in a summary of the conversation.

Four Palestinians were killed in new Israeli air strikes on central Gaza Saturday, raising the death toll from 72 hours of raids to 44, the emergency services said.

A statement first announced two deaths in a strike on Deir al-Balah, then added an additional two deaths in a strike on the Masdar area, also in central Gaza.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed concern Friday that renewed violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip would damage the Middle East peace process.

"The two leaders shared their concerns about the dangers to civilian populations on both sides and expressed their common desire to see an end to the violence," the White House said, after Obama called the Turkish leader.

Pakistan on Friday condemned Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip and vowed to stand by the people of Palestine against "Israeli aggression".

"Pakistan strongly condemns Israeli air attacks in Gaza that have targeted not only the Hamas leadership but also innocent civilians," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Tunisia has condemned Israel's strikes against the Gaza Strip and has sent its foreign minister to visit the embattled Palestinian territory.

Rafik Abdessalem is set to arrive in Gaza on Saturday with a delegation carrying humanitarian aid.

The U.N.'s top human rights official has denounced three days of fierce clashes between Israeli forces and Gaza militants, urging them both to pull back.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says she is appalled that civilians are being killed, including three Israelis in their apartment and several Palestinian children, including a baby, and a pregnant woman.

Thousands are protesting across Egypt against Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The demonstrations come on the day that Egypt's prime minister, Hesham Kandil, traveled to Gaza in a symbolic show of support for the territory's Hamas rulers.

Markets remained under pressure Friday ahead of the start of budget discussions between President Barack Obama and congressional leaders and as investors fretted over a military escalation in Gaza.

Japanese stocks, however, enjoyed solid gains on hopes that elections next month may lead to more stimulus measures being enacted, in the latest attempt to get the stuttering economy moving.