Beckett: EU statement not a 'green light' for Israel

British foreign secretary Margaret Beckett said today’s watered-down EU statement on the conflict in the Middle East does not amount to a “green light” for Israel to continue its military offensive in Lebanon.

“I would be saddened and dismayed if someone would read that into today’s conclusions,” she said after EU ministers adopted a statement calling for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”, instead of the “immediate ceasefire” called for in an earlier draft.

The 25 EU ministers agreed to call for an urgent halt to the fighting, effective immediately. Britain, Germany and others initially were against such a call.

Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja said all EU ministers agreed to call “for an immediate cessation of hostilities to be followed by a sustainable ceasefire”.

Tuomioja, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said the EU urged the UN Security Council to be “rapidly convened” to agree on a resolution to end the fighting.

“We hope our voice will be heard in the solution of this conflict,” said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who was tasked by EU foreign ministers to continue his mediation role in finding a peaceful solution.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the EU agreement did not mean an immediate ceasefire.

“Cessation of hostilities is not the same as a ceasefire,” he said. “A ceasefire can perhaps be achieved later. … We can now only ask the UN Security Council and put pressure on it and not to waste any more time.”

The foreign ministers also announced £35m (€27.31m) in humanitarian aid for Lebanon.