CARACAS, Jan 7: Venezuela on Tuesday ordered the expulsion of Israel’s ambassador to Caracas as calls mounted in Latin America for an end to the Jewish state’s deadly military assault on the Gaza Strip.

Israel retaliated by expelling Venezuela’s charge d’affaires, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

Lawmakers in Ecuador accused Israel of crimes against humanity, while Colombia and Guatemala urged an immediate ceasefire after 12 days of air strikes and ground offensive that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.

“Venezuela has decided to expel Israel’s Ambassador” Shlomo Cohen, “and some of the staff at the Israeli Embassy, restating its call for peace and respect for international law,” the Venezuelan foreign ministry said in a statement.

Venezuela accused Israel of “flagrant violations of international law” and having “planned to use state terrorism” against the Palestinian people.

“In this tragic and outrageous hour, the people of Venezuela show their unlimited solidarity with the heroic Palestinian people,” the statement said.

The Venezuelan mission at the United Nations would seek to pressure the Security Council to apply “urgent and necessary measures to stop this invasion by the state of Israel against Palestinian territory,” it said.

Venezuela had already condemned Israel’s attacks and President Hugo Chavez on Monday referred to them as ‘genocide.’ Chavez also accused the US government of supporting the offensive.

Shortly before announcing the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, Caracas said it would set up joint air support, with Arab and Muslim communities and other Latin American countries, to deliver medicine and food to Palestinians in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the foreign minister of neighbouring Colombia, Jaime Bermudez, called for an end to “all types of military aggression and for a dialogue” between Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week the Colombian government, allied to Israel which has provided military support in its fight against leftist rebels, expressed its “profound sadness and great worry faced with the violence in the Gaza Strip.”

Guatemala demanded an ‘immediate’ end to the military action in Gaza and urged Israel to respect international law and allow humanitarian access.

Guatemala’s foreign ministry also condemned the “dramatic worsening of the situation.”

Ecuador lawmakers condemned Israel’s military offensive and called for a global probe into alleged “crimes against humanity.”

In Jerusalem, Israel announced expelling Venezuela’s charge d’affaires, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

“We obviously will take retaliatory measures and will expel the Venezuelan charge d’affaires in Tel Aviv”, spokesman Yigal Palmor said after Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador on Tuesday.

—AFP