EU Condemns Gaza Rocket Fire Into Israel, Calls For De-Escalation

The European Union condemned Palestinian rocket attacks into
Israel, calling on all sides to aim for de-escalation and to
prevent further civilian casualties.

Palestinians fired uninterrupted barrages of rockets into
Israel, while the Israeli military pounded Gaza with airstrikes
through the early hours of Tuesday, in a dramatic escalation of
clashes in Jerusalem.

“The firing of rockets from Gaza against civilian populations in
Israel is totally unacceptable and feeds escalatory dynamics,” the
European Commission said in a statement issued late on Monday.” The
significant upsurge in violence in the West Bank, including in East
Jerusalem as well as in and around Gaza needs to stop immediately,”
it added.

On Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned
evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, calling them
illegal and saying they only served to fuel tensions on the
ground.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the rocket
attacks from Gaza against Israel on Monday and urged all sides to
take steps to reduce tensions.

The U.N. Security Council held emergency consultations Monday on
escalating violence in east Jerusalem and was considering a
proposed statement calling on Israel to cease evictions and calling
for “restraint” and respect for “the historic status quo at the
holy sites.

Ireland’s U.N. ambassador, Geraldine Byrne Nason, who joined in
calling for the emergency meeting, said that “the Security Council
should urgently speak out, and we hope that it will be able to do
so today.”Council diplomats said all 15 members expressed concern
at the clashes and rising violence but the United States, Israel’s
closest ally, said a statement might not be useful at this
time.

The European Union condemned Palestinian rocket attacks into
Israel, calling on all sides to aim for de-escalation and to
prevent further civilian casualties.

Palestinians fired uninterrupted barrages of rockets into
Israel, while the Israeli military pounded Gaza with airstrikes
through the early hours of Tuesday, in a dramatic escalation of
clashes in Jerusalem.

“The firing of rockets from Gaza against civilian populations in
Israel is totally unacceptable and feeds escalatory dynamics,” the
European Commission said in a statement issued late on Monday.” The
significant upsurge in violence in the West Bank, including in East
Jerusalem as well as in and around Gaza needs to stop immediately,”
it added.

On Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned
evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, calling them
illegal and saying they only served to fuel tensions on the
ground.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the rocket
attacks from Gaza against Israel on Monday and urged all sides to
take steps to reduce tensions.

The U.N. Security Council held emergency consultations Monday on
escalating violence in east Jerusalem and was considering a
proposed statement calling on Israel to cease evictions and calling
for “restraint” and respect for “the historic status quo at the
holy sites.

Ireland’s U.N. ambassador, Geraldine Byrne Nason, who joined in
calling for the emergency meeting, said that “the Security Council
should urgently speak out, and we hope that it will be able to do
so today.”Council diplomats said all 15 members expressed concern
at the clashes and rising violence but the United States, Israel’s
closest ally, said a statement might not be useful at this
time.