LONDON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Saturday that he is "deeply concerned" over the Israeli air strikes that have killed more than 200 Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

    Israel needs to meet its humanitarian obligations, act in a way to further the long-term vision of a two-state solution, and do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties, said the prime minister.

    Meanwhile, he called on Palestinian militants to halt all rocket attacks on Israel, saying that these attacks were designed to cause random destruction and to undermine the prospects of peace talks led by President Abbas.

    A British Foreign Office spokesman urged maximum restraint to avert further civilian casualties. "We are also calling on militants in the Gaza Strip to immediately cease all acts against Israel," he said. "The only way to achieve lasting peace in Gaza was through peaceful means."