Pakistan Friday strongly condemned Israeli air attacks in Gaza that have targeted not only the Hamas leadership but also innocent civilians, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement

The Foreign Ministry said Israeli threats of a ground offensive against Gaza are even more disturbing.

"Pakistan considers the Israeli action as a grave violation of international law and all humanitarian norms. We are also deeply concerned that an escalation in the violence could lead to a spreading of the conflict to engulf the region," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement called upon the international community to come together to stop the Israeli aggression forthwith and to work in unison for a peaceful resolution of the festering issue.

"Pakistan has consistently extended unequivocal and unreserved support to the Palestinian cause," the statement said.

The statement said Pakistan believes that unless the Palestinian problem is resolved, peace in the Middle East will remain elusive. Islamabad supports the quest of the state of Palestine for membership of the United Nations and believe that Palestine cannot be denied this right anymore, it added.

Palestinian officials said that 20 Palestinians have been killed since Wednesday when Israelis carried out strikes in Gaza after rockets were fired in Israel.