Berlin  - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged Israel on Sunday to do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties in its military action in the Gaza Strip.

Steinmeier, in a statement released by his ministry, also called for an end to missile attacks on Israeli territory by militants loyal to the enclave's Hamas leadership.

The German minister discussed the deteriorating situation by telephone Sunday with European Union foreign policy supremo Javier Solana and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country takes over the rotating EU presidency on January 1.

The trio called for steps to ensure that the situation does not deteriorate. Sunday's call by the UN Security Council for an immediate end to all military actions was an important signal to the warring parties, Steinmeier said.

They also agreed the Gaza population was in urgent need of humanitarian aid and appealed to both sides to allow such assistance to reach people there without undue delay.

Some 300 people have been killed since Israel launched airstrikes against Gaza on Saturday in response to the firing of Kassem rockets attacks and mortar shells into its territory from the Gaza Strip. dpa