UNITED NATIONS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- EU members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday jointly expressed concern over the latest escalation of violence in Gaza, urging all parties to take steps to de-escalate the situation.
"We are deeply concerned by the sharp escalation in violence that we witnessed yesterday," said Ambassador Karen Pierce of Britain to the UN, who was the first to take turns to read out their joint statement.
"While recognizing the right to protect its borders, we expect Israel to respect the fundamental right to peaceful protest and the principal of proportionality in the use of force," she said.
Pierce and her colleagues called on all parties to the escalation to take steps to de-escalate the situation and to act with utmost restraint to avoid further loss of life.
The ambassadors expressed the EU's consolidated position on Jerusalem as a final status issue, and underlined the Security Council's responsibility for promoting the Middle East peace process.
The five EU members of the UNSC, namely Britain, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, delivered the statement shortly after a Security Council meeting on the issue ended.
They were joined by Belgium and Germany, which are set to join the Security Council next year, as well as Italy.
On Monday, thousands of people participated in demonstrations in Gaza as part of the "Great March of Return" as well as in protest of the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
At least 60 Palestinian people were killed, including six children, and more than 1,300 others were reportedly injured in clashes with Israeli forces.
