Protesters have marched on the Israeli embassy in Venezuela, calling for an end to Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

More than 1,000 demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of Gaza outside the embassy in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Thursday.

Demonstrators threw shoes and firecrackers at an outer wall of the building housing the embassy and spray-painted "Israel get out" and "Long live a free Palestine" to protest against Israel's assault.

The protest comes two days after Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president,  announced his decision to expel the Israeli ambassador to Venezuela.

Chavez anger 

Chavez, a longtime critic of Israel, called the country's offensive in Gaza a "holocaust" in televised comments on Tuesday.

After Chavez announced the expulsion of Shlomo Cohen, the Israeli ambassador, Venezuelan flags and posters of Chavez have appeared at protests in Beirut and the West Bank.

At least 763 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its assault on December 27.

More than 3,121 people have also been wounded. Eight Israeli soldiers and three civilians have died in the same period.

The United Nations aid agency UNRWA also suspended its operations in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

The move came after Israeli tanks shelled a UN convoy earlier in the day, killing a Palestinian UN worker and injuring two others, as lorries were travelling to the Erez crossing to pick up humanitarian supplies meant to have been allowed in during a three-hour suspension of fire.