The Irish presidency of the European Union has called on the Israeli government to halt its demolition of Palestinian homes in the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip immediately.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, speaking as president of the EU council of foreign ministers, issued a statement on the matter this afternoon.
Mr Cowen stressed that, at its meeting on 4 May, the Quartet had called on Israel to take steps to respect the dignity of the Palestinian people and improve their quality of life. The Quartet had also emphasised that Israel should refrain from demolition of Palestinian homes and property, as a punitive measure or to facilitate Israeli construction.
"I reiterate my call to both sides to declare an immediate ceasefire, supervised by international monitors, as a prelude to the opening of negotiations," Mr Cowen said.