Washington » U.S. and global Christian leaders are calling on Israel to implement an immediate cease-fire in the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, while U.S. Jewish groups have largely defended Israel’s military campaign.

Gaza officials say nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 1,600 injured, in Israel‘s air campaign targeted to destroy the military capabilities of Gaza‘s ruling Hamas political movement.

Pope Benedict XVI has called for an immediate cease-fire and said violence “must be denounced in all its forms.” The Rev. Samuel Kobia of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches said the mounting deaths “are dreadful and shameful and will achieve nothing but more deaths and suffering.”

At the same time, U.S. Jewish groups defended Israel‘s response to Hamas rockets that have been repeatedly fired into Israel. “We steadfastly urge Israel to continue these operations until Hamas, the terrorist organization, is destroyed,” said Morton A. Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America.

The Rabbinical Council of America, an umbrella group of Orthodox rabbis, said ‘Israel has every right and obligation to respond as it has.”

Religion News Service