Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has voiced his "unequivocal" support for the Zionist in its recent onslaught on Gaza Strip on Sunday, saying the Jewish state is acting upon its "right of defense."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has voiced his "unequivocal" support for the Zionist in its recent onslaught on Gaza Strip on Sunday, saying the Jewish state is acting upon its "right of defense."

“The indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel are terrorist acts," Harper said in Sunday's written statement on the Zionist aggression that killed so far 173 Palestinians and wounded more than 1,400 others - mostly civilians - over the last week.

“The failure of the international community to condemn these reprehensible actions (by the Palestinian resistance) will encourage these terrorists (resistance fighters) to continue their appalling actions. Canada calls on its allies and partners to recognize that these terrorist acts are unacceptable and that solidarity with Israel is the best way of stopping the conflict," said Harper.

He maintained that Canada is "unequivocally" behind Israel, asserting it is a right of self-defense to take action against what he called "terrorist attacks."

"We urge Hamas to immediately cease their indiscriminate attacks on innocent Israeli civilians," he added, reiterating calls for the Palestinian government to "disarm Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups operating in Gaza.”

Zionist warplanes have been heavily pounding the Gaza Strip over the week as part of the military offensive – dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – allegedly launched in response to rocket fire from the embattled coastal enclave.

However, the Zionist army claimed on Monday that 971 rockets had been fired at the Occupied Territories from Gaza since 7 June, i.e. around 161 rockets per day.

No Zionist fatalities have been reported so far.