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Brown at odds with EU allies

LONDON: Britain was on Sunday seen to be on a collision course with its European allies after Prime Minister Gordon Brown failed to call on Israel to end its aerial bombardment even as the European Union and France in separate statements condemned Israeli attacks and insisted on an “immediate” cessation of its operations.

Echoing the American line, Mr. Brown accused Hamas saying that its rocket attacks on Israel were designed to “undermine” the peace process.

He urged “Gazan militants to cease all rocket attacks on Israel immediately”.

In a statement expressing “deep concern” over the situation, Mr. Brown said these attacks were “designed to cause random destruction and to undermine the prospects of peace talks led by President [Mahmoud] Abbas.”

As for the Israeli retaliation, the British Prime Minister said while he understood “the Israeli government’s sense of obligation to its population” it should do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties.

In sharp contrast, European Union’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the Israeli attacks were “inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians” and would worsen the humanitarian crisis.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy condemned the “disproportionate use of force” by Israel which he, added,

was causing “heavy civilian losses” on the Palestinian side.

Both EU and Mr. Sarkozy also condemned rocket attacks on Israel.

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