Foreign Secretary statement on the situation in Gaza and Southern Israel

London, 2 March/GNN/ -- FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE News Release issued by The Government News Network on 2 March 2008 The significant rise this week in the number of rocket attacks into Israe

I condemn the rocket attacks against Israel. These are terrorist acts.
They should be seen for what they are - an attempt to break the political
process by breaking the will of those committed to peace. That cannot be
allowed to happen. All sides in the conflict, and the international community,
need to judge their actions by the need to keep the political process alive.

I support the UN Secretary General's call for all parties to step back from
the brink of even deeper and more deadly clashes.

Israel's right to security and self-defence is clear and must be reiterated
and supported. But measures taken in response to rockets must be in accordance
with international law, minimising the suffering for innocent civilians,
and maximising the scope for political negotiations to be restarted.

The leadership of the Palestinian Authority need support in their search
for peace. I support their work to re-establish control of the Gaza
crossings. But I am deeply concerned by the news they have decided to call
a halt to negotiations with the Israeli government. These discussions, and
swift progress in them, represent the only way of disarming the arguments
of the extremists and bringing peace to the region.

FCO Press Office: 020 7008 3100
Press Office, Downing Street (West), London SW1A 2AL Telephone: 020 7008
3100 Fax: 020 7008 3734

Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

2008-03-02 12:34:30 0302180 PRNEWSWIRE