Europe calls on Israel to maintain self control, AL describes Israeli operations as crimes

The Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli operations against the Palestinians and called on the international community to pressure Israel. The secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, strongly condemned the Israeli operations and described them as crimes leading the region to further violence and bloodshed.

The Muslim Brothers group in Egypt deplored the Israeli operation as a mass killing and called in a statement the Arab and Islamic regimes and governments to shoulder their responsibilities and provide support for the Palestinian people.

For its part, the European Union Presidency considered that by its military escalation, Israel retaliated inappropriately to the launching of the Palestinian al-Qassam missile. The statement issued by the Dutch presidency said that Israel's right to protect its citizens against what he called the terrorist attacks should be made within the confines of the international law.

The higher coordinator of the foreign policy in the European Union Javier Solana denounced the escalation of violence in the Palestinian territories, calling on Israel to what he called to be balanced and moderate in using force.

The Russian foreign ministry called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to give up resorting to power in order to solve the existing conflict between them. France has expressed its deep concern over the escalation of violence and the spokesman for the French foreign ministry renewed demanding Israel to honor what he called the international law in using the right to self defense against what it called terrorism.