Allies in warning to Netanyahu over Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel would take control of all of Gaza as airstrikes killed more than 60 people, an entire city was declared a combat zone and a senior minister said the army would "wipe out" what remained of Palestinian Gaza.

- Emma Graham-Harrison

Britain, France and Canada attacked Israel's expansion of its war as disproportionate, describing conditions in Gaza as "intolerable" and threatening a "concrete" response if Israel's military campaign continued.

"We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions," they said in a statement yesterday. "If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions."

International pressure over a looming famine forced the Israeli prime minister to announce on Sunday night that he would ease the 11-week siege of Gaza to prevent a "starvation crisis".

Nearly 24 hours later the UN said nine trucks of aid had been cleared to enter. This is less than 2% of the daily shipments recorded before the war, when Palestinians in Gaza were well fed and the strip had its own agriculture sector, and will make no meaningful difference to the crisis gripping most of the territory's 2.3 million people.

Britain, France and Canada said the measures were "wholly inadequate".

They warned Israel risked breaching international law and called for "a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles".