SOURCE - EU Press Release - 16/07/2014
- GAZA - PDF - on Page 5 of 6 pages - here.
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Conclusions - 16 July 2014
EUCO 147/14
Gaza
10. The European Council is following with great concern the continued violence in Israel and Gaza. The European Council condemns the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel and the indiscriminate targeting of civilians. Israel has the right to protect its population from this kind of attacks. In doing so, it must act proportionately and ensure the protection of civilians at all times. It deeply deplores the loss of innocent lives and the high number of wounded civilians in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israeli military operations and is deeply concerned about the rapid and dramatic deterioration of the humanitarian situation. The European Council calls on both sides to de-escalate the situation, to end the violence, to end the suffering of the civilian populations notably by allowing access to humanitarian assistance, and return to calm. The European Council welcomes on-going efforts by regional partners, and in particular the initiative launched by Egypt, to establish a cease-fire and calls on Hamas to agree on such cease-fire. The European Union stands ready to provide the necessary support to this end. The European Union continues to call for the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1860 (2009)
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