New Delhi, May 21 -- Britain on Tuesday said that it was suspending trade talks with Israel over its plan to escalate the war in Gaza and its blockade of humanitarian aid to Palestinians already at risk of famine. On Monday, Britain, France and Canada demanded that Israel stop this "wholly disproportionate" escalation.

Their appeal amounted to the sharpest condemnation yet from some of Israel's most powerful supporters since the war began 19 months ago. The message made clear that Israel's conduct of the war, the high death toll and the abysmal humanitarian conditions were pushing the allies to the limits of what they would tolerate.

Meanwhile, Israel rejected a European Union decision to review the bloc's cooperation deal in a bid to p...