Middle East News
EU calls for Gaza ceasefire "as soon as possible" (Extra)
Jan 5, 2009, 12:40 GMT
Jerusalem - The European Union wants a ceasefire as soon as possible in the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and does not accept Jerusalem's view of a truce only when Israeli aims are met, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said Monday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Schwarzenberg, whose country heads the rotating EU presidency and who lead a delegation from the Union to Israel, also called on Israel to open the crossing points into the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni however said Israel would keep on battling Hamas, which she said was a listed terrorist organization.
Israel, she said, wanted the world to let it 'conduct the war against terrorism until we decide to stop.'
She said Israel's aim was to change the 'equation' whereby Hamas could fire rockets at the Jewish state and not get a response.
The EU delegation had met earlier Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak at the start of its diplomatic quest seeking to attain a Gaza ceasefire.
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