The European Union has said it is gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Israel to help in allowing aid to be delivered there.
The EU has said it is gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Israel to help aid to be delivered there.
Israel said earlier today it would continue air and ground assaults in the Gaza Strip indefinitely to keep up pressure on militants to free an abducted soldier and halt cross-border rocket attacks.
The EU said it was very preoccupied by the implications of the Israeli military operation and called for Israel to open the Rafah and Karni border crossings to allow aid to be delivered.
'The presidency strongly urges Israel to facilitate and ensure transfer of assistance for humanitarian needs,' it said.
Israeli forces launched their offensive after Palestinian gunmen abducted Corporal Gilad Shalit in a raid into Israel on June 25.
The EU has previously called for the unconditional release of the abducted soldier, an end to the firing of rockets on Israeli territory and the release of Palestinian legislators and ministers detained by Israel.
It also accused Israel on Friday of a disproportionate use of force against Palestinians in Gaza and of making the humanitarian crisis worse.
Earlier, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, said Israel must take urgent action to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Annan said Israel had to repair the territory's only power plant, which was damaged in an Israeli airstrike.
UN agencies have said Gaza is on the brink of a public health disaster.
Bystander killed in Israeli air attack
Meanwhile, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a car carrying Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, killing a bystander and wounding at least four other civilians.
The Israeli military said it carried out the air strike on what it described as 'a terrorist group' on the outskirts of Rafah.
Israeli forces entered the southern Gaza Strip nearly a fortnight ago, after militants from Hamas and two other factions captured an Israeli soldier.
