The European Union has condemned "indiscriminate" rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire as the Jewish state and Hamas squared off in their most serious conflict since 2012.
"The EU strongly condemns the indiscriminate fire into Israel by militant groups in the Gaza Strip," said a statement yesterday from the office of the bloc's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
"The EU deplores the growing number of civilian casualties, reportedly among them children, caused by Israeli retaliatory fire. The safety and security of all civilians must be of paramount importance."
The statement added that the 28-nation bloc called on all sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid casualties and re-establish calm.
"To this end the EU calls on parties in the region to do their utmost to achieve an immediate ceasefire."
The armed wing of Hamas claimed that it fired several rockets at Jerusalem and at Israeli cities Tel Aviv and Haifa.
It was the first time since a major 2012 conflict that Gaza-based militants had fired rockets at the Holy City, and came as Israel pressed an aerial offensive against the besieged coastal strip.
Most of the more than 130 rockets fired hit open spaces causing no damage, and at least 23 were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system, the military said.
