British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday too many civilian lives had been lost in the Israel-Hamas conflict and he repeated his call for a "sustainable ceasefire" to allow the release of hostages.
Sunak's spokesman said a sustainable ceasefire was one that could last but he added that Britain was not advocating a general and immediate ceasefire.
With intense ground fighting having expanded this month across the Gaza Strip and a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding, some leaders have begun to toughen their language over the rising number of Palestinian civilian deaths.
Last week, US President Joe Biden said Israel was losing support over its "indiscriminate" bombing of Gaza and that its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, should change strategy.
Sunak on Monday again said Britain believed Israel had the right to defend itself following the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October that triggered the conflict.