A grassroots campaign has been launched calling on the British government to exert diplomatic pressure on Hamas to stop attacks on Israel.

The Israel Britain Alliance, which is led by the former Labour Friends of Israel vice-chair, Michael McCann, has asked supporters to email Boris Johnson before the recent spate of terror incidents becomes another full-blown conflict.

The “Stop The War” campaign has been launched on the basis that attacks in Tel Aviv, Kiryat Arba and Sderot over the last two months could represent “the prequel to a Hamas declaration of war on Israel.”

Mr McCann said that the drive, which has the support of We Believe in Israel and Friends of Israel groups in Sussex, the north-west and Merseyside, was set to be “the biggest campaign we’ve run so far.”

He said that since the last conflict in 2014, “Hamas has rebuilt its armoury of weapons, they are excavating new terror tunnels and they're teaching a new generation of young people how to become terrorists.

"Our Government must also make clear to Hamas that if they start another war Britain will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and will urge the international community to follow its lead.

"Whether it is Brussels, Orlando, Tel Aviv or London, there can be no double-standards when we deal with terrorists."

He explained that “the IBA chose the #stopthewar campaign title because we want action to stop Hamas terror now, before blood is spilled.”