The European Union urges an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and continues discussions on issues that violate human rights provisions

Leaders of EU member states have called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and said they will continue discussions on whether Israel complies with the relevant human rights provisions in the EU agreement.

Xinhua News Agency reported that EU leaders issued a communique after the EU summit held in Brussels on Thursday (June 26), saying: "The European Council calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages to facilitate a permanent cessation of hostilities."

The communique said that the Council of Europe has noted the report that Israel has violated its human rights obligations under Article II of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and will continue to discuss follow-up measures in July this year in light of the development of the situation.

The European Union's External Action Service said last week that Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip might violate the human rights obligations stipulated in the agreement signed with the European Union.

The European Union and Israel signed the EU-Israel Association Agreement in 2000, aiming to provide a legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the European Union and Israel. In May this year, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Caras, said that the current situation in the Gaza Strip is a disaster. The European Union will invoke Article II on human rights in the EU-Israel Association Agreement to initiate the relevant review.