The European Union (EU) on Friday urged the Israeli government to ensure the free and secure movement of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff and assistance in the Gaza Strip, and called on Hamas and Israel to immediately comply with Thursday's UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire.

"We hope that such a guarantee (of Israel) will soon allow UNRWA to fully resume its activities in the Gaza Strip which are vital for the civilian population of Gaza," said European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel.

However, Israel declared on Friday in a defiant gesture that its defense forces IDF will continue its operation in the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave.

Commenting on the temporary suspension of movements of UNRWA staff throughout the Gaza Strip, Michel said that the EU "condemns in the strongest terms" the attacks on UNRWA humanitarian convoys and personnel, which had led to the temporary halt of UNRWA staff movements in the area.

He noted that the UNRWA decision primarily affected food distribution across Gaza, and that other humanitarian partners are subject to similar and unacceptable incidents and as a consequence are forced to reduce or stop their operations, which are crucial in bringing essential assistance to the suffering population of Gaza.

He promised that the EU would continue to make every effort possible to help the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and prevent this humanitarian tragedy from claiming more lives.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, is the largest donor to UNRWA with an overall annual regular contribution of 113 million euros (one euro equals some US$1.4) in 2008. In addition, the European Commission provided more than 73 million euros in humanitarian assistance in 2008 for victims of the ongoing crisis in the Palestinian territories of which 56 percent was for relief activities in the Gaza Strip. In the last two weeks alone, the Commission has provided more than 10 million euros in additional humanitarian aid in a direct response to the increasing humanitarian crisis in Gaza .

At least 779 Palestinians have been killed and about 3,200 wounded since Israel launched the so-called Cast Lead operation in Gaza on December 27 aiming to strike Hamas targets in Gaza. On the Israeli side, 13 people have died, including four killed in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants. The other nine were soldiers killed in ground battle in Gaza.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2009)