LONDON, Oct 4 (AFP) - British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Monday he was "deeply concerned" over the recent bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, warning Israel that it must show restraint in military operations.
Straw had spoken to his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom earlier Monday to express concern at the "unnecessary suffering" caused by Israeli armed forces, he said in a statement.
Since Israel began a major military operation in the Gaza Strip six days ago, 73 Palestinians have been killed, including a a child and a teenage girl who were among eight fatalities on Monday.
Israeli chief of staff General Moshe Yaalon warned Monday that the onslaught, aimed at establishing a buffer zone to prevent rocket firings on Israel, could last for weeks.
Straw said he was "deeply concerned by the level of violence and number of deaths, including children, in the Gaza Strip over the past week."
He had made it clear to Shalom that while Israel had a right to defend itself, such action must be "proportional" and within international law.
"IDF (Israeli Defence Force) action is causing civilian deaths and injuries and unnecessary suffering," Straw added, calling on both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to work for peace.