BRUSSELS, June 1, (Agencies): Europe will intensify its efforts to get Israel to lift its Gaza blockade, following the attack on an aid flotilla, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton told the Palestinians Tuesday.
She gave the assurance to Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad, during telephone talks Tuesday, the day after Israeli troops stormed the Gaza-bound aid flotilla and left nine people dead, an EU spokesman said.
Her message was that “the blockade of Gaza should end” and “she’s willing to step up efforts in this respect and to discuss with (EU) member states how to work further in this direction,” spokesman John Clancy said.
Ashton also stressed the importance of the role of the Palestinian Authority in normalising the situation in the Gaza Strip, which is run by the Hamas Islamist group.
To that she would welcome a visit to Gaza by Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, according to Clancy.
Israel held hundreds of people on Tuesday after its commando raid on the Gaza-bound international aid flotilla sparked international outrage.
Europeans were among those onboard.
Five Belgian citizens who took part were safe and well, a Belgian foreign ministry spokesman said,
“One of them is to leave Israel this morning, the other four are blocked,” the spokesman said.
Russia
Russia and the European Union condemned on Tuesday Israel’s use of deadly force in the storming of an aid flotilla and urged the opening of crossings into Gaza.
In a joint declaration during a Russia-EU summit in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton demanded a “full and impartial inquiry”.
“The death of people is irreparable and absolutely unjustified,” Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told a news conference with EU leaders.
EU President Herman Van Rompuy called the deaths “inexplicable”.
“We regret the loss of life, condemn the use of violence and demand an immediate, full and impartial investigation,” he said.
Norway
A Norwegian minister and leader of a political party Tuesday called for an international boycott of arms trade with Israel following a deadly raid by Israeli commandoes on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
“Everyone should follow the Norwegian position which excludes trading arms with Israel,” said Kristin Halvorsen, education minister and head of the Socialist Left party, according to the Dagbladet tabloid.
“It doesn’t have much of an effect if we do it alone, but the current situation is unbearable,” she added.
Norway on Monday summoned the Israeli ambassador in Oslo and condemned the raid as “unacceptable”.
Norwegian foreign ministry spokesman Bjoern Jahnsen meanwhile told AFP that the three Norwegians who had been onboard one of the flotilla’s six boats were unharmed and detained in the south of Israel.
Ireland
Ireland called Tuesday for the immediate release of seven of its nationals detained by Israel on the Gaza aid flotilla — and demanded the Jewish state let a new aid boat through.
Prime Minister Brian Cowen said the “MV Rachel Corrie” — carrying a Nobel Prize winner and a former senior United Nations official — should be allowed to reach Gaza with its humanitarian cargo.
“If any harm comes to any of our citizens it will have the most serious consequences,” he said, adding that Dublin had asked Israel to ensure the boat “complete its journey unimpeded and discharge its humanitarian cargo in Gaza”.
Earlier Foreign Minister Micheal Martin criticised Israel for failing to provide consular access to those detained, saying Ireland “expects the immediate and unconditional release of all the Irish citizens detained.
Italy
Actions such as Israel’s deadly raid on a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla must “never happen again,” Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Tuesday.
Italy’s top diplomat said he “reconfirmed” the friendship between Rome and the Jewish state in a conversation with his Israeli counterpart but insisted “that it is essential that actions of this kind never happen again.”
Frattini said he told Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman: “No one in the world can accept the killing of civilians.”
He also acknowledged that Israel had “the indisputable right to absolute security,” Frattini said.
The foreign ministry said Frattini urged Lieberman to speed up the release of six Italians detained during the raid.
“Frattini encouraged his colleague to do his best to complete the checks as soon as possible to allow the six to leave Israel,” the ministry said in a statement.
France
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday called for a credible and impartial inquiry into Israel’s deadly raid on a flotilla of ships carrying aid to Gaza.
“The inquiry must be impartial, credible, transparent and conform to international criteria,” he said, adding that it could be carried out by the United Nations or the International Red Cross.
Sarkozy was addressing an Africa-France summit in the city of Nice, where he again “condemned the disproportionate use of force by the Israelis.”
France on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of hundreds of people held by Israel after a deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships.
“France demands the immediate release of the boats and of all the civilians who were on board,” said Prime Minister Francois Fillon, noting that nine French nationals were among those held.
Finland
Finland summoned Israel’s ambassador to Helsinki Tuesday to condemn a deadly raid by Israeli commandos on a Gaza-bound aid ship, calling for an independent investigation into the incident.
“Finland condemns the violent interception of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla on international waters and does not accept the disproportionate use of force against civilians,” the Finnish foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The events must be investigated thoroughly and reliably by an independent party,” it added.