The U.K. Defence Secretary has backed Israel over its actions in Gaza claiming Israel has a right to defend itself.
However, the Defence Secretary, Phillip Hammond, said Israel should “act proportionately” and “take all steps to minimise civilian casualties” in its military intervention.
“What we really want to see now is an enduring ceasefire that will allow the bloodshed on both sides to stop and the underlying causes of this problem to be resolved through negotiation,” he added.
Hammond also called on Hamas to end rocket attacks on Israel.
The statement comes as Israel, which has ignored UN resolutions many times before, launches a ground offensive against Gaza.
Israeli military planes have been pounding the Gaza Strip since July 7 with the stated aim of halting rocket fire from the Palestinian territory.
At least 240 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1770 injured in relentless aerial bombardment across the Gaza Strip, while one Israeli has died in rocket fire.
On Wednesday, four boys playing on a Gaza beach were killed when Israeli forces fired shells in full view of foreign journalists.
Israel's military operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the embattled Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – in the last six years.
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