Venezuela has cut off diplomatic ties with Israel in protest against its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The same day, Bolivian President Evo Morales also announced that his country was breaking off ties with Israel over its continuing raids against the Palestinian people in Gaza, which have killed more than 1,000 and injured some 5,000, most of them civilians.

Venezuela "has decided to break off diplomatic relations with the state of Israel given the inhumane persecution of the Palestinian people," the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

On Jan. 6, Venezuela expelled Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Cohen in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people and rejection of Israel's raids in the Gaza Strip.

However, the Jewish News Agency reported the Venezuelan government would restore diplomatic ties with Israel.

In response, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said in a communique Wednesday that the Jewish report "only aims to manipulate and create a campaign of intrigue to lighten and reduce the moral and political impacts of our government's decision regarding Israel."

"We have suspended the diplomatic ties in a minimum expression, because there is still one officer in charge of the basic administrative issue of the Israeli mission in Caracas," Maduro said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of civilians in Venezuela marched on Wednesday to protest against the Israeli raids in Gaza and demand a stronger solidarity of the Arab peoples with Palestinians.

Protesters vowed to support Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Israel and demanded the end of the raids into Gaza.

The Venezuelan government called on the people to donate food and medicines for Palestinian youngsters in Gaza.

Venezuela has sent 12.5 tons of medicines to Gaza via Cairo and 80 tons of food will be sent during the week, said Maduro.

Israel launched massive air strikes against the Gaza Strip on Dec. 27 and led ground incursions into the densely populated enclave a week later.

So far some 1,010 Palestinians have been killed and 4,600 others wounded in the offensive, which Israel claims is aimed at stopping rocket and mortar attacks against its south by the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2009)