Peers have condemned the resumption of hostilities between Hamas and Israeli forces during a debate on the situation in Gaza on 14 July 2014.

Thousands of Palestinians have fled northern parts of Gaza after Israel warned it was targeting the area in its campaign to stop the continuing rocket attacks from Gaza militants.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants and "terror sites", including the homes of senior operatives.

Repeating a statement made by WForeign Secretary Wlliam Hague in the House of Commons, Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi told peers that at least 173 Palestinians have been killed and 1,230 injured in Gaza, while 240 Israelis have been injured.

She said the United Nations estimates that 80% of those killed have been civilians, a third of which are children, as she updated peers on the situation..

The UK, she said, is focused on bringing about a ceasefire, alleviating humanitarian suffering and keeping the prospect of peace talks alive.

Labour spokesman Lord Bach warned that humanitarian aid will not be enough to end the conflict, though he welcomed the the government's humanitarian efforts, telling peers it's "very good that Britain plays such a big role".

Lord Bach also said that the conflict cannot be solved "through force of arms alone" and added Labour's support to the government's focus on a two state solution.

However, several peers were split on how to deal with the current situation.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Philips of Sudbury told peers that the cause of the conflict was the result of "the constant tenacious determination of Israel to colonise the West Bank", and called on the government to implement sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from the contested territories.

Crossbench peer Lord Pannick called on the government not to "lose sight of the fact that Hamas is a terrorist organisation" when making policy decisions about the conflict.