EU to call on Israel to allow aid into Gaza

By Anne Jolis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union wants Israel to allow free and safe access for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, a document obtained by Reuters on Thursday said.

The draft letter by the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, is due to be delivered on Friday, and is the 27-nation bloc's strongest bid so far to persuade Israel to let more aid into the embattled territory.

It calls on Israel to reopen all six crossing points into Gaza, where the Israeli military has conducted a 13-day offensive against Hamas militants.

"Full and unfettered access to the Strip and the civilian population in Gaza needs to be made possible," the message to Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Ehud Barak said.

"Palestinian civilians trapped in the conflict zone have the right to safe haven nearby where they can find shelter and are not at risk of being exposed to fire from either side," the commission wrote.

Israel must guarantee that the most urgent medical cases can be evacuated from Gaza to receive treatment, the commission added, saying the EU was ready to assist in any such operations.

Israel began the military offensive in the Palestinian territory on December 27, responding to cross-border rocket attacks from Hamas, the militant Islamist group which rules Gaza.

Since the strikes began, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said, and at least 3,000 people wounded.