Paris:
France on Sunday called on Israel to show restraint in its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, where six days of air strikes have left 165 people dead.
"France calls for an immediate ceasefire," Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a television interview. "We condemn the Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, but we also call on Israel to show restraint in its response and in particular to respect international law and to ensure that civilian casualties are avoided."