Israel expels Venezuela's top diplomat in reprisal

Israel is expelling Venezuela's charge d'affaires in response to the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Caracas over the war in Gaza, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

"We obviously will take retaliatory measures and will expel the Venezuelan charge d'affaires in Tel Aviv" on Wednesday, the spokesman, Yigal Palmor, told AFP.

The charge d'affaires is Venezuela's top diplomat to the Jewish state.

The Venezuelan government on Tuesday ordered the expulsion of Israel's ambassador to Caracas to protest the Israeli military's offensive in the Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

 The president of Israel at this moment should be taken to the International Criminal Court together with the President of the United States 

Hugo Chavez

Earlier, President Hugo Chavez called the events in Gaza a Palestinian "holocaust" and said the presidents of Israel and the United States should be tried for war crimes in international court.

"The Holocaust, that is what is happening right now in Gaza," Chavez said in televised comments. "The president of Israel at this moment should be taken to the International Criminal Court together with the President of the United States."

The socialist Chavez on Monday had accused Washington of poisoning the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to destabilize the Middle East and justify U.S.-backed Israeli incursions.

Calls have mounted in Latin America for an end to the Jewish state's deadly military assault on the Gaza Strip.

Lawmakers in Ecuador accused Israel of crimes against humanity, while Colombia and Guatemala urged an immediate ceasefire after 11 days of air strikes and ground battles that have killed some 660 Palestinians