Wrekin MP Pritchard urges an end to human shields

Mr Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, was speaking in Parliament as David Cameron urged Hamas to enter into ceasefire negotiations with Israel.

The Prime Minister expressed "grave concern" about the deaths of Palestinian civilians and made clear he held Hamas responsible for the crisis.

In a Commons statement, he defended Israel's right to defend itself in the face of an "unprecedented barrage" of rocket attacks from the Islamist organisation.

More than 500 Palestinians are reported to have died in the fighting, with more than 3,000 injured and 18 Israeli soldiers and two civilians killed.

Mr Pritchard, the vice chairman of the Conservative parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said Hamas must stop its indescriminate firing on Israel and Israel must stop its shelling of known Hamas strongholds.

"There have been casualties on both side and the firing needs to stop," he said.

"I have great concern about Hamas using woman and children as human shields."

Mr Cameron, who has spoken to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that unlike Hamas, the Israelis had been prepared to accept a ceasefire offer tabled by Egypt.

"The crisis was triggered by Hamas raining hundreds of rockets on Israeli cities, indiscriminately targeting civilians in contravention of all humanitarian law and norms," Mr Cameron said.

"I have been clear throughout this crisis that Israel has the right to defend itself. Those criticising Israel's response must ask themselves how they would expect their own government to react if hundreds of rockets were raining down on British cities today.

"But I share the grave concern of many in the international community about the heavy toll of civilian casualties. The figures are very disturbing."

He added: "It is vital that Hamas recognise the need to enter serious negotiations to end this crisis. In particular we urge Hamas to engage with the ceasefire proposals put forward by the Egyptian government."

Earlier Israel's armed forces distributed an image of the Houses of Parliament in London under missile attack, in the hope of persuading Britons that the country's military incursion into Gaza is justified.

A message on the official Twitter feed of the Israel Defence Forces showed a doctored picture of missiles raining down on Westminster under the text: "Hamas terrorists just fired rockets at southern and central Israel. What if they were attacking your home?"

The UK is providing £5 million in emergency support to those affected by the violence in Gaza.

Mr Cameron today said £2 million would be committed to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) Flash Appeal to help 84,000 people forced from their homes.

A further £3 million is being brought forward to help the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and assistance is also being diverted to help rebuild UN-run schools that are being used as shelters.