CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

More than a dozen members of LA Jews for Peace held a peaceful demonstration in front of the federal building in Westwood Sunday, calling on the Israeli government to allow more humanitarian aid and workers across the Gaza border after the three-week military operation that killed about 1,300 Palestinians.

Members of the group said they hoped to raise awareness about the fragility of the cease-fire that took effect Jan. 18 at the end of Israel’s military campaign. The Israeli government was attempting to stop the Palestinian group Hamas from launching rocket attacks into southern Israel.

Violence in the region had escalated after Hamas, which won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized control of Gaza in mid-2007, declared an end to a six-month truce Dec. 19. Ten Israeli soldiers and three Israeli civilians were killed in the three-week conflict; four of the soldiers died as a result of friendly fire.

Last week, the United Nations’ humanitarian affairs chief praised what he called the increased cooperation by the Israeli government, which is allowing 120 truckloads of food and medical supplies a day into Gaza.