During the last two months a significant number of Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza. Today, even  more civilian casualties have been added to the death toll.

The EU Presidency strongly deplores the indiscriminate use of force by the Israeli Defence Forces, which only fuels the vicious cycle of violence.Whilst recognizing Israel’s right to ensure security for its citizens, the EU Presidency calls  the Israeli authorities to do everything in their power to prevent further deaths of civilians.Terrorist acts and violence are not an alternative to the peace process.

The EU Presidency urges both  the Israeli government and the P.A. to put an end to this situation and to contribute constructively to the resumption of the political  process.