South Africa summoned Israel's ambassador on Monday to express its "grave concern" at "the brutal assault" by Israeli forces on the Gaza Strip, an official statement said.

Deputy foreign minister Fatima Hajaig summoned Israel's ambassador here, Dov Segev-Steinberg, to a meeting in Pretoria to express the government's concern about the attacks, the foreign ministry said in the statement.

"The South African government called on the Israeli government to stop the military onslaught in Gaza and to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its forces currently amassing on the border," it said.

Israeli planes have been bombing targets in Gaza since Saturday, aiming to force the area's Hamas government to halt rocket attacks on Israeli towns. At least 57 civilians are among more than 300 Palestians dead. The attacks represent "a gross violation of the rights of the people of Gaza", the statement said.

Calling the death and destruction in Gaza "totally unacceptable", along with the continued siege of the poverty-stricken Palestinian territory, Hajaig called on Israel to stop the attacks immediately.

Pretoria urged all the parties in the conflict to return to peace negotiations without preconditions.

AFP