EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned on Monday during a visit to Jerusalem that Israeli strikes on Syria and Lebanon threatened to worsen the situation.
The most intense escalation since a November ceasefire, which ended the war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, occurred on Saturday. In Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites since Islamist-led rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel says it wants to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities it considers jihadists.
“Military actions must be proportionate, and Israeli strikes into Syria and Lebanon risk further escalation,” Kallas said at a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
“We feel that these things are unnecessary because Syria is right now not attacking Israel and that feeds more radicalisation that is also against Israel, which we don’t want to see,” Kallas told journalists.
Kallas will hold talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in the occupied West Bank later on Monday.
