London - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown renewed his call Sunday for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, in an interview with the BBC.

As Israeli troops continued their land offensive in Gaza Sunday, Brown said that "this dangerous moment, I think, requires us to act."

"What we have to to do almost immediately is work harder than we have done for an immediate ceasefire," he said.

The prime minister stressed that this included requiring the Hamas movement to end rocket fire towards Israel.

Brown also called on Arab governments to do more to end the violence. "I sense that the Arab powers are as worried as we are about the turn of events."

Cairo  - Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip is cutting the Arab world to the quick, leaving millions left to seethe with anger and helplessness while their leaders do little or nothing.

From Marrakesh to Damascus, demonstrators have given vent to their outrage and sympathy in a series of protests and donation campaigns on behalf of the Palestinians reeling under Israel's offensive.

Many Arabs feel personally humiliated at the way Israeli forces are acting against their militarily hapless fellow Arabs while, apart from protests and humanitarian aid, Arab leaders have done nothing.

The Arabs know that even the few political means at their disposal count for little because those who have the power to use them are not prepared to do so.

Geneva - A specialist medical team from the International Committee of the Red Cross has been unable to enter the Gaza Strip for the past three days, a spokeswoman for the organization said Sunday.

The team, comprised of two doctors and two nurses, was supposed to enter the enclave on Friday to help the local Palestinian medical staff, who were "exhausted" and having trouble coping with the massive influx of injured people, she said.

Many of the wounds were complicated, requiring outside medical expertise, the spokeswoman said. The team was "badly needed" and their presence in Gaza was "essential."

Istanbul  - Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Istanbul Sunday to protest Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

To the backdrop of large screens broadcasting Al-Jazeera news reports of Israeli ground operations, the protesters in Caglayan Square on the European side of the city shouted "death to Israel" and "we are all Palestinians".

"We are here to share our feelings with the Palestinians", a young man at the rally told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry meanwhile called on Israel immediately to halt operations.

Istanbul  - Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Istanbul Sunday to protest Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

To the backdrop of large screens broadcasting Al-Jazeera news reports of Israeli ground operations, the protesters in Caglayan Square on the European side of the city shouted "death to Israel" and "we are all Palestinians".

"We are here to share our feelings with the Palestinians", a young man at the rally told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry meanwhile called on Israel immediately to halt operations.

Tel Aviv  - An Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis Sunday killed two top Hamas militants, an Israeli military spokeswoman said.