Middle East in Chaos

The US must reassess its role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in the so-called Middle East Quartet, Euro MPs said in a resolution Thursday, pressing Washington for fresh action to stop the violence and to restart the stalled peace process.

The international quartet, which is working for peace in the Middle East, also includes the EU, Russia and the United Nations.

EU parliamentarians deplored a "lack of a strong and clear stance by the international community on the current crisis," urging quartet members to take immediate action to resume negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and to implement the so-called roadmap for two independent states in the region.

They also called for an international peace conference, adding that unilateral approaches by the conflict parties have to be rejected.

European Union officials also proposed deploying a multinational force to Gaza and the West Bank to protect Israeli and Palestinian civilians.

EU stresses need for responsibility in region

Calling on the EU and its member states to engage in reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, the Euro MPs stressed the bloc's "special responsibility for peace and security in the Middle East, which is in Europe's neighborhood."

The EU must also continue giving humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people by further extending a so-called temporary aid mechanism agreed by the EU and the US.

The 105 million euro aid program provides for the payment of "special allowances" to Palestinian health workers and other special groups. It is expected to run out at the end of the year.

Europeans call for Palestinian unity government

Earlier this month, the EU called for the rapid formation of a Palestinian national unity government to ease the damaging international, political and financial boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority.

The 25-member bloc and the US cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority following the election victory of Hamas earlier this year. The militant Palestinian group is classified as a terrorist organization by both the EU and the US.

Brussels has said it will resume aid flows once Hamas recognizes Israel, renounces violence and agrees to abide by past peace treaties.