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| Miliband warns over Gaza strikes | Miliband warns over Gaza strikes |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has warned of a "very dark moment" in the Middle East peace process as Israel continues air strikes on Gaza. | UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has warned of a "very dark moment" in the Middle East peace process as Israel continues air strikes on Gaza. |
| Mr Miliband said events threatened attempts to build a "comprehensive peace" and risked fuelling radicalism. | Mr Miliband said events threatened attempts to build a "comprehensive peace" and risked fuelling radicalism. |
| Calling for an urgent ceasefire, he said a "terrible price" was being paid for faltering peace negotiations. | Calling for an urgent ceasefire, he said a "terrible price" was being paid for faltering peace negotiations. |
| Hamas says 300 Palestinians have died. The UN says 56 civilians are dead. Two Israelis have been killed by rockets. | Hamas says 300 Palestinians have died. The UN says 56 civilians are dead. Two Israelis have been killed by rockets. |
| Gaza's interior ministry and more sites linked to the militant group Hamas have been hit in a third day of strikes. | Gaza's interior ministry and more sites linked to the militant group Hamas have been hit in a third day of strikes. |
| The UN says about 100 rockets or mortars have been fired into Israel following the attacks which began on Saturday. | The UN says about 100 rockets or mortars have been fired into Israel following the attacks which began on Saturday. |
| 'Terrible price' | 'Terrible price' |
| They came less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with Hamas - the militant movement which controls Gaza. | They came less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with Hamas - the militant movement which controls Gaza. |
| Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was concerned about the impact on the chances for achieving a peace agreement and the danger the raids would radicalise more people. | Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was concerned about the impact on the chances for achieving a peace agreement and the danger the raids would radicalise more people. |
| "This is very dangerous and a very dark moment," he said. | "This is very dangerous and a very dark moment," he said. |
| "We are now paying a terrible price for the slow and faltering pace of negotiations not just over the last year, probably not just over the last 15 years - and it is the fundamental need for a comprehensive settlement that is the only way to resolve this in the interests of the Palestinians or the Israelis." | "We are now paying a terrible price for the slow and faltering pace of negotiations not just over the last year, probably not just over the last 15 years - and it is the fundamental need for a comprehensive settlement that is the only way to resolve this in the interests of the Palestinians or the Israelis." |
| The Israeli reaction is utterly disproportionate Ed DaveyLib Dems Israel strikes key Hamas offices | |
| He said any "innocent loss of life" was "unacceptable" and continued calls for a ceasefire. | He said any "innocent loss of life" was "unacceptable" and continued calls for a ceasefire. |
| The authority of Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas - whose Fatah party controls the West Bank but not the Gaza Strip - had to be reinforced, he added. | The authority of Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas - whose Fatah party controls the West Bank but not the Gaza Strip - had to be reinforced, he added. |
| In a Foreign Office statement, Mr Miliband said he and Prime Minister Gordon Brown were "following developments in Gaza with grave concern". | In a Foreign Office statement, Mr Miliband said he and Prime Minister Gordon Brown were "following developments in Gaza with grave concern". |
| It added that Mr Brown had spoken to Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and the UK had made clear Israel "must abide by its humanitarian obligations". | It added that Mr Brown had spoken to Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and the UK had made clear Israel "must abide by its humanitarian obligations". |
| "The UK supports the prompt and sufficient delivery of food, fuel and medicine into the Gaza Strip." | "The UK supports the prompt and sufficient delivery of food, fuel and medicine into the Gaza Strip." |
| 'Difficult to resolve' | 'Difficult to resolve' |
| For the Conservatives, William Hague warned there was little leverage Britain could exert over the immediate situation in Gaza. | For the Conservatives, William Hague warned there was little leverage Britain could exert over the immediate situation in Gaza. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "It is quite right for the UN Security Council to call for a ceasefire and an end to hostilities and we should all support that, but that does of course require both sides to cease hostilities. | He told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "It is quite right for the UN Security Council to call for a ceasefire and an end to hostilities and we should all support that, but that does of course require both sides to cease hostilities. |
| Both the targets and the majority of the casualties were people in uniform, Hamas operatives that were busy trying to launch rockets Talya Lador-FresherIsraeli deputy ambassador | |
| "The evident reason for Israel's onslaught on Gaza in recent days has been the very large number of rocket attacks launched by Hamas into Israeli territory. That's a difficult thing to resolve." | "The evident reason for Israel's onslaught on Gaza in recent days has been the very large number of rocket attacks launched by Hamas into Israeli territory. That's a difficult thing to resolve." |
| He said leverage in the longer term lay with the incoming US administration, supported by allies, giving "huge emphasis" to the Middle East peace process in 2009. | He said leverage in the longer term lay with the incoming US administration, supported by allies, giving "huge emphasis" to the Middle East peace process in 2009. |
| But Ed Davey, for the Liberal Democrats, said: "The Israeli reaction is utterly disproportionate. | |
| "From the standpoint of ordinary people in Gaza this is a full-scale attack, which is leaving women and children dead and thousands of innocent people suffering. | |
| "The rocket attacks by Hamas are totally unacceptable, but Israel ought to have learnt from its attack on Lebanon which only served to strengthen the cause of extremism." | |
| Israel says the aim of the strikes is to stop rockets and missiles being launched on the southern part of Israel. | Israel says the aim of the strikes is to stop rockets and missiles being launched on the southern part of Israel. |
| Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat called for an immediate end to Israeli attacks, telling the BBC: "What Israel is doing deserves the strongest condemnation of the international community. | Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat called for an immediate end to Israeli attacks, telling the BBC: "What Israel is doing deserves the strongest condemnation of the international community. |
| "At the end of the day you don't solve such problems with military means and such large-scale attacks." | "At the end of the day you don't solve such problems with military means and such large-scale attacks." |
| But Israel's deputy ambassador in London, Talya Lador-Fresher said security institutions and Hamas had been targeted and most casualties were "people in uniform, Hamas operatives that were busy trying to launch rockets and doing terror attacks against Israeli citizens". | But Israel's deputy ambassador in London, Talya Lador-Fresher said security institutions and Hamas had been targeted and most casualties were "people in uniform, Hamas operatives that were busy trying to launch rockets and doing terror attacks against Israeli citizens". |
| "We show restraint and even now we target the organisation," she added. "They are showing no restraint and are targeting civilians." | "We show restraint and even now we target the organisation," she added. "They are showing no restraint and are targeting civilians." |