The British government has strongly condemned the human suffering in Gaza as “intolerable." Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary said he received thousands of emails expressing horror at the impact of the Israeli attacks on civilians in the small strip, which is one of the most densely populated places on earth. He repeated his government's calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Hammond is apparently responding to the opposition's strong criticism of the Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians. Earlier, the opposition Labour party criticised what it called the Prime Minister's "silence" over Israel's actions. Ed Miliband, the party leader, said these actions were "inexplicable to people across Britain and internationally." He condemned Israel's military offensive as "wrong and unjustifiable", calling on the British Government to speak with a united voice on the violence. "Cameron should be playing a leading role in these efforts to secure peace," Miliband said in a statement, adding that the Prime Minister is right to say that Hamas is an appalling, terrorist organisation with murderous intent and practice towards Israel and its citizens. Senior Liberal Democrats Party, including its leader Nick Clegg and deputy Prime Minister, have emphasised the Israeli air, land and sea military attacks on Gaza are "disproportionate" use of force. Hammond said “the British public has a strong sense that the situation of the civilian population in Gaza is intolerable and must be addressed, adding his government agrees with that. Britain and Ireland witnessed mass protests within the last three weeks, condemning the Israeli aggression against Gaza. The protesters have called on the British government to ban arms trade with Israel as “terrorist and occupying state." Hammond also warned that the Israeli military offensive would lead to an increase in anti-Semitic attacks in Britain. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/107640.aspx
