Former UK’s defence secretary Ben Wallace has warned that Israel risks undermining its legal authority to defend itself by embarking on a “killing rage” against the Palestinian people, The Telegraph reports.

Wallace, who stepped down as the top defence official in August, said Israel’s “original legal authority of self-defence is being undermined by its own actions”.

“Netanyahu’s mistake was to miss the [Hamas] attack in the first place,” Wallace said. “But if he thinks a killing rage will rectify matters, then he is very wrong. His methods will not solve this problem. In fact, I believe his tactics will fuel the conflict for another 50 years.”

Wallace’s comments come after UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron called for a “sustainable ceasefire” and warned that “too many civilians have been killed” in Gaza in a joint op-ed with his German counterpart in the Sunday Times.