Japan’s Premier Taro Aso urges his Israeli counterpart to halt airstrikes on the Gaza Strip as more Palestinians are being killed everyday.

Aso expressed Japan’s regret over the carnage and called on Ehud Olmert to ’swiftly stop the offensives’, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Aso also expressed concerns over the civilian causalities in the indiscriminate Israeli attacks on the impoverished strip.

“It is regrettable that the (Israeli) attacks have caused widespread damages, including deaths and injuries of civilians,” he said in a 20-minute telephone conversation with Olmert.

The Japanese premier also demanded Israel to lift the Gaza blockade and allow the transportation of humanitarian assistance into the densely populated strip.

Aso’s remarks come as Israeli strikes on Gaza entered a fifth day, with Tel Aviv rejecting an international proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire in the region.

Israeli offensive has so far killed at least 390 people, including 42 children, and wounded more than 1,900 others since the strikes were launched on Saturday.

The Israeli bombardment has also reduced much of the infrastructure in Gaza to rubble, but has failed to stop Palestinians’ resistance.