By KUNA,
Brussels : European Union foreign ministers held an extraordinary meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni here late Wednesday night to discuss the situation in Gaza following three weeks of Israeli military onslaught which killed about 1,300 Palestinians and injured more than 4000, mostly civilians.
“We have been seeking assurances that the ceasefire will be maintained and we call on Israel to commit immediate and sustained access for the provision and distribution of humanitarian aid.” The remark was by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the current EU Presidency, at a joint press conference with Livni after the dinner meeting.
“We urge immediate opening of all crossings and to allow international humanitarian agencies to distribute sufficient volumes of humanitarian aid,” he said.
On her part, Livni claimed that Israel stopped its military operations after “achieving our goal” which was to stop rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas.
Livni said she asked the EU to help stop smuggling of weapons which she alleged were being delivered by Iran to Hamas.
“The other thing which is very problematic,” she said, “is the way Hamas is continuing to be re-armed with longer range missiles.
“Some months ago, their missiles used to reach 20kms. Now, it’s about 50 kms,” she noted.
On his part, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana appealed to all parties to make the ceasefire sustainable and lasting, and to open the crossing points so that the humanitarian aid and the people who carry the humanitarian aid can cross and enter into Gaza.
On Sunday, a similar meeting of foreign ministers of the EU plus Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and the Palestinian National Authority will take place in Brussels.