EU Urges Israel, Palestine, Lebanon to deescalate restraint requests

European Union on Saturday, April 8, called for Israel and Palestine to exercise “restraint” as a barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon triggered retaliatory strikes from Tel Aviv and tensions escalated on both sides. EU condemned deadly attacks in Israel and pushed for de-escalation. “The EU expresses its total condemnation of these acts of violence. This must cease,” the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. Borrell slammed the “indiscriminate” rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon into Israel as he pushed for both sides to resort to dialogue. He reiterated that the “status quo of all the holy sites must be preserved.”

During the shooting at the West Bank on Saturday, British-Israeli sisters aged 16 and 20 were killed, while their mother was reported seriously injured.  Among other casualties was an Italian tourist. Seven others were wounded seriously after a car rammed into them in Tel Aviv. 

“We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to avoid further escalation and promote calm for the ongoing religious holidays,” Borrell said.

“Israel has the right to defend itself. At the same time, any response must be proportionate.”

Russia, and Turkey push for dialogue to resolve Israel Palestine conflict

Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, earlier yesterday emphasized that Moscow is in favour of resuming multilateral negotiations to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Speaking at a state press conference after holding talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu Russia’s Foreign Minister, Lavrov noted that Israel and Palestine need to pursue the path of dialogue to resolve the internal dispute that must include the Quartet in the Middle East and the Arab League.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also pushed for dialogue and expressed concern about the escalation between Palestine and Israel following clashes in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. He called on both parties to refrain from further escalation as he condemned the Israeli raids into Al-Aqsa in the holy month of Ramadan. “Common sense must prevail to prevent another wave of escalation. The international community led by the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation must make efforts within all platforms to protect the status of religious holy sites,” the Turkish president’s press service quoted Erdogan as saying.

Source: republicworld