UK voices concern after Gaza raid

Civilians inspect the damage caused after an air strike in Gaza

The UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he is "deeply concerned" after Israeli airstrikes killed more than 150 people in the Gaza Strip.

He called on Palestinian militants to halt all rocket attacks on Israel and said Israel must "do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties".

Conservative leader David Cameron called the violence "horrific" and said both sides must show "restraint".

Aid agencies in the region have also appealed for calm.

Tit-for-tat

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Whilst we understand Israeli's obligation to protect its population, we urge maximum restraint to avert further civilian casualties.

"We also call on those in the Gaza Strip to immediately cease all acts against Israel".

The call for the two countries to reach a settlement came amid signs that tit-for-tat clashes were spiralling out of control.

A military offensive will hit ordinary people, the very people we need as partners in building a better future for the region," Jeremy HobbsOxfam International Massive Israeli air raids on Gaza In pictures: Gaza attack aftermath Malnutrition and shortages in Gaza Israel warns Hamas over rockets

The spokesman said: "The only way to achieve lasting peace in Gaza is through peaceful means."

The strikes, the most intense Israeli attacks on Gaza for decades, come days after a truce with Hamas expired.

In a statement, Israel's military said it had been targeting "Hamas terror operatives", training camps and weaponry storage warehouses.

The aid agencies - Oxfam, CARE International, CAFOD, Medico International and Diakonia - said the military action would only result in a "humanitarian catastrophe".

Jeremy Hobbs, director of Oxfam International, said a "genuine and lasting solution" was required and military action would only "alienate Gaza further".

"Gaza has already been paralysed by the Israeli blockade.

"A military attack on Gaza could completely destroy essential infrastructure for sewage treatment, water provision and electricity for hospitals and homes, with devastating impact on civilians.

"A military offensive will hit ordinary people, the very people we need as partners in building a better future for the region," he said.

Martha Myers, of CARE International, said: "There is no military solution to the situation and the upsurge in violence destroys hopes for peace, refuelling the cycle of violence.

"There is simply no alternative to negotiations to address the root causes of the conflict."

Describing the strikes as "disproportionate" and "unacceptable", Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Ed Davey said: "The danger is that this will spark a new spiral of violence and terror, when what is really needed is an international effort to restore the ceasefire.

"Israel knows the international community condemns the attacks by Hamas, but it should also realise from the past that this sort of mass attack will only postpone the peace Israel, and the region, needs."

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