Thousands of Afghans demonstrated on Friday against Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip, chanting slogans against the Jewish state and calling for the defence of Islam, including by jihad or holy war.

About 1000 demonstrators in the western city of Herat ripped up an Israeli flag, torched banners and set alight an effigy of Israeli President Shimon Peres, an AFP reporter at the scene witnessed.

They shouted "Death to Israel" and "Death to infidels" and demanded a halt to the strikes that started a week ago in retaliation for rocket attacks by the Islamist group Hamas and which have killed more than 420 Palestinians.

The protesters also chanted slogans against the United States — a key ally of Israel — and the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai, which relies on US support to fight an insurgency led by the extremist Taliban group.

"We think this is a war between Islam and infidels," local religious leader Farooq Hussaini told reporters.

"We have announced jihad in Herat province against those who recognise Israel as a state and support them," he said, apparently referring to the mainly Western soldiers deployed in Afghanistan to fight the insurgency.

Hussaini, an influential Muslim cleric in the city which is close to the border with Iran, said he was ready to send "mujahedeen", or religious fighters, as well as suicide attackers to support the Palestinians in Gaza.

"We are here to defend Islam and the Koran"

In the capital Kabul, up to 3000 protesters gathered at a key mosque, shouting slogans against Israel, the United States and "their supporters," and burning US and British flags.

"We are here to demonstrate against Israelis who make Palestinians suffer," said 19-year-old Kabul student Mohammad Shafi. "We are here to defend Islam and the Koran."

The crowd held up green flags representing Islam and banners bearing statements such as "Islam is our religion", an AFP reporter witnessed.

Kabul police chief General Ayoub Salangi said between 2500 and 3000 people were in the crowd.

Several hundred people also demonstrated in the northern province of Badakhshan, provincial government spokesman Mahrouf Rasikh told AFP.

Afghanistan, which does not recognise Israel, has also condemned the attacks in Gaza and demanded an immediate halt to the strikes.

AFP