David Lidington, the Shadow Foreign Minister, has joined international calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
He stressed the movement of Israeli ground forces into the Gaza Strip was a “serious development” that was bound to lead to yet more loss of life.
And he condemned Hamas’ rocket attacks on Israeli cities as “acts of terrorism” which must cease if there is to be a chance of restoring peace:
“Only a political agreement and a sustainable ceasefire, possibly backed up by international supervision, will bring about a permanent end to those rocket attacks.”
David warned that Gaza's one and a half million civilian population is caught between the warring forces and is paying an "appalling price" in blood, hunger, misery and fear.
And he stressed, “Whatever the result of today's military action, Israel and Gaza will still be neighbours. The longer the bloodshed continues, the more difficult it will be to overcome intransigence and extremism."