GAZA CITY: Hamas last night called on Palestinians to wage a new intifada against Israel, after warplanes and helicopters pounded the Gaza Strip killing at least 225 people in the bloodiest day in 60 years.

"We call for a military intifada against the enemy. Resistance will continue through suicide missions," Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said.

Black smoke billowed over Gaza City, where the dead and wounded lay scattered on the ground after the air strikes destroyed more than 30 security compounds, including two where Hamas was hosting graduation ceremonies for new recruits.

Warplanes also destroyed Gaza's presidential compound, which Hamas seized in June 2007 from President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah forces.

Abbas said the Israeli air campaign was "criminal" and urged the international community to intervene.

Israel said it had targeted "terrorist infrastructure" following days of rocket attacks from Gaza on southern Israel.

"There is a time for calm and a time for fighting, and now the time has come to fight," Defence Minister Ehud Barak said. He said 'Operation Cast Lead' would continue "as long as necessary".

The White House said Hamas can bring a halt to the Israeli strikes by stopping its own rocket attacks on Israel.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an "immediate halt to all violence".

The Arab world reacted in shock to the attacks on the Gaza Strip with protests around the region and Egypt summoning the Israeli ambassador to express its condemnation of the strikes.