Israel calls Gaza strikes as 'self-defence' action

Israel on Monday defended its onslaught on Gaza saying it was acting in "self-defence" and likened the attack on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to one on New Delhi or Mumbai.

"This is about self defence. It is about the very basic fundamental right of one million people," Israel's Ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz told reporters here.

He said "in Indian terms it is more than 170 million people...to lead normal life, to wake up every morning to go to working place, to enable kids to go to the school.

"This is about the capital of Israel, Jerusalem which is equivalent to New Delhi. This is about the centre of business of Israel--Tel Aviv which is equivalent to Bombay".

He claimed that in the last seven years, Israel has been targeted by more than 12,000 rockets daily.

"At the end of the day, it is the duty, responsibility and the right of every UN member to defend its citizen," he said.

Israeli air strikes have killed 31 Palestinians in the bloodiest day so far of its air campaign on the Gaza Strip as diplomatic efforts to broker a truce intensified.

The latest violence hiked the Palestinian casualty toll to 77 dead and 700 injured in some 100 hours of raids, while three Israelis have been killed and more than 50 injured by rocket fire since Wednesday.

Asked about a possible ceasefire, the Ambassador said "obviously our goal is very defensive goal. We only want to give people the right to conduct normal life...and to damage terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza strip.

"If this is taken care of by political negotiations, we of course will not object to it but if it won't happen through peaceful settlements, all kinds (options) are on the table".