The head of European diplomacy urges Israel and Palestine to stop the violence in their territories
Flames and smoke rise during Israeli air strikes amid a flare-up of Israel-Palestinian violence, in the southern Gaza Strip May 11, 2021. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
The European Union’s (EU) foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, called on Saturday for an end to violence in Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, and Lebanon and stressed that while Israel “has the right to defend itself”, any response must be “proportionate”. ” “The EU calls for an immediate end to the violence. Everything must be done to prevent the escalation of the conflict. We urge all parties to show the utmost restraint, avoid further escalation, and promote calm during the ongoing religious holidays,” said Borrell, quoted in a press release, after the escalation of tension between Israelis and Palestinians in recent days. Earlier on Friday, an Italian was killed and at least five people were wounded in a shootout and an incident involving a car in Tel Aviv, while two Israeli women were killed and a third was seriously injured in an alleged Palestinian gun attack in the northern occupied West Bank.
“Last night there were again deadly terrorist attacks in Tel Aviv, one of which resulted in the death of an Italian tourist. The EU fully condemns all these acts of violence. They must stop,” urged Borrell, who also demanded that the sacred sites’ status be respected. On behalf of the 27, Borrell also condemned the “indiscriminate” rocket attacks against Israel in Gaza and Lebanon and emphasized that “Israel has the right to defend itself” but that “at the same time, any response must be proportionate”. The actions coincide with an escalation of tension between Israelis and Palestinians, which began on Wednesday with clashes between police and Muslim worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and continued with major exchanges of fire with Palestinian militias in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon. All this violence comes on the third Friday of Ramadan, which coincides with Pesach (Jewish Passover) and Catholic Good Friday, a particularly tense day in Jerusalem when hundreds of thousands of Muslims go to pray at the Al Aqsa mosque, where minor incidents with the police occurred including on Friday morning.
By Roberto Caseli
