ANKARA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Turkey, one of Israel's few allies in the Muslim world, on Thursday strongly condemned Israeli army strikes in Gaza that killed 18 Palestinian civilians, and it appealed for an end to the "disproportionate" violence.

Seven children and four women were among those killed by Israeli shelling of northern Gaza on Wednesday, making it the deadliest single Israeli attack on Palestinians in four years.

"I strongly condemn this action," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told parliament. "This amounts to a massacre."

"Israel is making a mistake and opening the way to very dangerous developments in the region ... This cannot be accepted," said Gul, using unusually strong language.

"The world cannot remain a passive onlooker. I appeal to world public opinion to act ... Israel must stop its disproportionate and inexplicable operations."

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday a technical failure by Israeli artillery was responsible for the deaths of the 18 Palestinians.

Muslim but secular Turkey has close military and trade ties with Israel. It also has good ties with the Palestinians and aspires to play a more active role in the Middle East, a region it ruled for centuries as part of the Ottoman Empire.

But Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has Islamist roots, has sometimes used harsh words to criticise Israel's policies towards the Palestinians. Gul, number two in Erdogan's ruling centre-right AK Party, usually strikes a more diplomatic tone.

Around 350 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its Gaza offensive in June, doctors say.

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