Israel's Gaza strike condemned by Europe, Arabs
Source: Reuters
By Mark John BRUSSELS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Israel's deadly strike in Gaza drew condemnation across Europe and the Middle East on Wednesday, with the European Union expressing profound shock and an international Muslim group calling it a war crime. Eighteen civilians died when Israeli artillery shells struck the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, the deadliest strike in the territory in four years. Some of the victims were killed in their beds as shells struck seven houses. Italy branded the killing a "massacre" and France condemned "indiscriminate" shelling which it said violated international law. In Lebanon thousands of Palestinian students protested. "The killing this morning of so many civilians in Gaza, including many children, is a profoundly shocking event," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement. "Israel has a right to defend itself, but not at the price of the lives of the innocent." EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he deplored the attack and called for an end to the cycle of violence. "These military operations must be halted. We must give a chance to the process of reconciliation between Palestinians," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said he voiced sorrow over the deaths. A military spokeswoman said Israeli forces had fired shells at north Gaza in response to rockets being fired at Israel. Israel launched its Gaza offensive in June after militants seized an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid. It withdrew from Beit Hanoun on Tuesday following a week-long assault, designed to stop militants firing rockets at the Jewish state, that killed 52 militants and civilians. "CLIMATE OF WAR" Italy's Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said the violence must be stopped to avoid "returning to a climate of war". "This morning 18 people, women and children, were massacred ... an escalation of violence I think is unacceptable," D'Alema said. "I think that now an international initiative to unblock the Palestinian situation is essential." British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said she was deeply disturbed by the deaths of Palestinian civilians. "Israel must respect its obligation to avoid harming civilians. It is hard to see what this action was meant to achieve and how it can be justified," Beckett said. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said France "condemns the indiscriminate artillery fire inside inhabited areas which occurred in violation of international humanitarian law and notably the Geneva Conventions". France and Britain also criticised the continuing rocket attacks by Palestinian militants into Israel. In the Middle East, Jordan's King Abdullah condemned "the ugly massacre that led to the martyrdom of a number of innocent civilians including children", state news agency Petra said. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Islamic body, accused Israel of war crimes and asked the United Nations Security Council to take steps to protect Palestinians "from Israel's brutality and state terrorism". Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the Cairo-based Arab League, said the Israeli attacks were incomprehensible "massacres" and said he would call on Arab officials to act. In Lebanon, thousands of Palestinian students and children took to the streets of the country's largest refugee camp, waving Palestinian flags and urging Arabs to stand up to Israel. "Oh Arabs where is your pride, they have massacred our people in Gaza," the crowds gathered in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp chanted as mosques blared Koranic verses.
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