The European Union demanded on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority take ”all necessary concrete measures” against the ”enemies of peace” responsible for twin suicide attacks against Israelis this week.
”The EU wishes to reaffirm its strongest condemnation of these two terrorist attacks as well as the organisations that planned and executed them,” the EU presidency said in a statement on behalf of the 15 governments.
”The resurgence of terrorist attacks is claiming an intolerable toll of innocent Israeli citizens, it is obstructing the efforts of the international community to restore peace in the region and it is damaging the interests of the cause of the Palestinian people.”
The statement said the EU ”strongly urges the Palestinian Authority to take all necessary concrete measures against those terrorist organisations that are opposed to any political dialogue and undermine all the efforts to restore hope and to bring peace, security and better conditions of life to the region.”
EU foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to add political offshoots of Hamas, including charities and social welfare groups, to its terrorist blacklist following last month’s deadly bus bombing in Jerusalem. Currently the EU blacklists only Hamas’s military wing.
European legal and terrorism experts were expected to decide this week exactly which groups and individuals will be added. — Sapa-AP