Geneva  - The United Nations top human rights expert said Sunday that she was concerned and distressed by "the enormous loss of life in the escalating violence in Gaza."

Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement that she "strongly condemned Israel's disproportionate use of force" in the enclave, which has so far resulted in more than 280 dead, and called for respecting international law.

Many of those killed were civilians, Pillay said.

She also condemned Hamas rocket fire which killed one Israeli civilian.

More than 100 rockets have been fired from Gaza since the Israeli military began its offensive on Saturday.

"Operation Cast Lead," being conducted almost entirely with airstrikes, was said to be in response to intense rocket fire into the Jewish State since the termination of a truce with the militant Hamas rulers of Gaza on 19 December.

Earlier Sunday, the United Nations Security Council called for an immediate end to all military actions in the Gaza Strip, after a four-hour emergency meeting.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN's secretary-general, also also called for a halt to the violence. (dpa)