Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has condemned the actions of the Israeli government following the bombing of Gaza. And the Blackburn Labour Group has backed his comments today.

Speaking in Parliament earlier this month Mr Straw said, " The whole House condemns the killing of the three Israelis and the burning of the Palestinian, and none of us has any truck with Hamas.

"However, for all the vacuous words of the Israeli Government and the Israel defence forces spokesman, it is clear that they have no regard for international humanitarian law; that they place a completely different and much lower value on Palestinian life than Israeli life.

"And that the cycle will go on as long as the international community, in an effort to be even-handed, fails to say to the Israelis that the actions that they are taking are completely out with the United Nations charter and any idea of how a civilised nation ought to behave."

Kate Hollern, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said, "Blackburn Labour Party agrees with Jack - whatever the provocation, the Israeli response has been completely disproportionate and an insult to international law.

"No civilised country should bombard houses a hospital full of defenceless women and children and we call on the Coalition government to find time immediately to allow a full debate on this humanitarian crisis in Parliament."