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Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, will stress during his three-day Mideast tour the importance of keeping the Annapolis peace process on track and underline the EU's commitment to this process and its support for the parties.
Photo: Council of the European Union.
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BRUSSELS (EJP)---The European Union has condemned on Sunday what it called the “disproportionate use of force" by Israel in the Gaza Strip as the EU’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana is arriving in the region.
In a statement, the EU’s Slovenian presidency said: "The presidency condemns the recent disproportionate use of force by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) against Palestinian population in Gaza and urges Israel to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from all activities that endanger civilians."
It added: "Such activities are contrary to international law. The Presidency at the same time reiterates condemnation of continued firing of rockets into Israeli territory and calls for its immediate end."
The statement was issued after intense fighting in the Gaza Strip over the weekend in which fifty-four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed.
Senior Israeli political and military leaders have been mulling a major ground operation in the Gaza Strip for months, as Hamas militants launched daily rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel.
The EU presidency said "it rejects collective punishment of the people of Gaza."
"We are deeply worried about the suffering of the civilian population on Israeli and Palestinian side. We have stated too many times that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and security,” the statement said.
The Eu stressed that the peace process should not be interrupted.
"Actions that undermine this process should be stopped immediately. Cessation of violence is one of the key elements in achieving the commitments made in Annapolis. The Presidency urges all sides to advance on the path to a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict as set out in Annapolis."
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke Saturday with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, and said Israel was acting to protect its citizens.
Solana's Mideast trip
Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief, has started on Sunday a 3-day visit to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.
In Israel, Solana will meet on Monday with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Ehud Barak.
On Tuesday, the EU official will travel to the Palestinian territories for meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Ahmed Ali Mohammed Qurei, chairman of the Palestinian negotiating team, and Saeb Erekat, head of the negotiations affairs department.
According to his cabinet, Solana will stress the importance of keeping the Annapolis peace process on track and underline the EU's commitment to this process and its support for the parties.
He will also stress the EU's readiness to help bring about and implement a solution to the situation in Gaza.