Elsewhere, British comedian Steve Coogan belatedly condemned Hamas's "terrorist attacks on Israel" - after signing an open letter that made no direct mention of Hamas or the atrocities committed by the terror group earlier this month.

Coogan said it "goes without saying that what Hamas did is evil beyond imagination - it was horrific and brutal".

However, he said it was "no way inconsistent" to "express grave concern for the lives and welfare of innocent Palestinian civilians" at the same time.

The letter, issued by Artists For Palestine UK, was also signed by Tilda Swinton, Charles Dance, Miriam Margolyes and Maxine Peak, among more than 2,000 others, demanded that governments "end their military and political support for Israel's actions".

It also spoke of governments "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them" and called for “an immediate ceasefire”.

The letter did not mention Hamas but did condemn "every act of violence against civilians and every infringement of international law, whoever perpetrates them".