BRUSSELS, Jan 28 (KUNA) -- The European Union (EU) Saturday expressed concern over the heightened tensions in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel following the Israeli attacks in Jenin and an attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem.
"On Thursday in Jenin, at least nine Palestinians were killed and more than 20 were injured during an operation by the Israeli Defence Forces. This brings the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank to 30 since the start of this year," said EU High Representative Josep Borrell in a statement.
"Last year, more than 150 people were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, including 30 children, the highest number since the end of the second intifada in 2005," he noted.
Concerned by the heightened tensions in the occupied Palestinian territory, he said: "We call on both parties to do everything possible to de-escalate the situation and to restart security coordination, which is vital to prevent further acts of violence." In a separate statement, Borrell condemned an attack yesterday in a Jerusalem synagogue, that killed at least seven people and left many injured.
"These terrible events demonstrate once again how urgent it is to reverse this spiral of violence and engage in meaningful efforts to restart peace negotiations. We call on all parties not to react to provocations," added the EU foreign policy chief. (end) nk.mt