EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said "we have to find a way to prevent the kind of violent rocket attacks that we've seen and also to bring some security and peace to the people of that region," in a statement made upon her arrival at a meeting of the 27 EU Foreign Ministers Monday in Brussels.
The Gaza crisis will dominate the meeting Monday afternoon." I have been in touch and stayed in touch with the Prime Minister of Israel and with the Arab League and with Arab Nations," Ashton said.
She continued : "I’m very concerned about the loss of life, but I've also been saying consistently for a long time that we need to find a long-term solution to Gaza. I've been there three times and we have to find a way to prevent the kind of violent rocket attacks that we've seen, and also to bring some security and peace to the people of that region. It fits absolutely into what the EU has consistently said about the two-state solution."
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said the most important thing was "to arrange an immediate ceasefire."
"Then, we must look at the wider and deeper issues," he said. "This is the second Gaza war in a few years. We can't wait for the third and fourth."