EU to redouble its efforts to end surge in violence between Israeli military and Palestinian militants

The European Union will redouble its efforts to end the surge in violence between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants and seek progress during a special meeting of its Foreign Ministers yesterday.

 

The EU also called the weekend destruction of a building housing The Associated Press and other major international media extremely worrying and said safe working conditions for journalists were essential.

 

Ever since the outbreak of violence last week, the EU has been calling for restraint and condemned attacks that hit civilian populations.

 

France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi stressed the absolute need to cease hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians, the French Presidency said. Mr. Macron reaffirmed France’s support to the Egyptian mediation in the conflict.

 

Rome Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio



said, Italy had requested to discuss the Mideast violence and said the violence and attacks between Israel and Palestine must stop. In a Facebook post, he added that the EU with its 27-member states must take a clear and unified position and work to press the parties to sit together again at the negotiation table.

 

EU Spokesman Peter Stano said meeting is to seek how best that EU can contribute to diffusing the tensions, stop the escalation and stop the ongoing violence.

 

The fighting broke out last week, when the Hamas militant group fired long-range rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of clashes in the city between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police.

 

At least 198 Palestinians have been killed in the strikes with 1,300 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Eight people in Israel have been killed in rocket attacks from Gaza.