Straw rebukes Israel on Gaza incursions

Israel's military operations in Gaza are in breach of international law, Jack Straw has said.

The foreign secretary's comments, made on Wednesday evening, are the strongest UK criticisms yet of Israeli attempts to prevent terrorist operations.

Straw accepted that the military campaign had begun as a result of rocket attacks on Israel, one of which killed two children on September 29.

"But this operation has resulted in the deaths of 115 Palestinians, including many children," he said in a statement.

"In one tragic case Iman al Hasan, a Palestinian schoolgirl, was shot 20 times on her way to school. Over 350 Palestinians have been injured."

The foreign secretary said he was also concerned about the difficulties faced by aid agencies in delivering supplies to Gaza and the West Bank.

"Any blockages in these supplies will only worsen the already desperate living conditions of many of the people of Gaza," warned Straw.

"'The UK unreservedly condemns all acts of terrorism including the firing of Qassam rockets.

"But Israel has an obligation under international law to ensure that its response to terrorism is proportionate to the threat it faces, as well as a duty to avoid innocent civilian casualties and humanitarian suffering.

"It is not meeting those obligations."