The European Union's foreign-policy director, Catherine Ashton, today condemned the clashes in the West Bank which have left at least three people dead, according to dpa. Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians who reportedly tried to stab a soldier on Sunday, shortly after a Palestinian child died after being shot in the stomach with a rubber bullet. "I condemn the latest violent developments on the ground. I'm particularly concerned about the violent incidents on the West Bank in the last 48 hours," Ashton said, adding that four people had died. "They should be investigated and I deeply regret the loss of life. The recent escalation risks undermining efforts to bring the parties together in negotiations, which is a paramount objective," she said. Ashton was talking after meeting EU foreign ministers in Brussels, and just days after her first official visit to the volatile region. The EU is pushing Israelis and Palestinians to start proxy peace talks, and is concerned that ongoing tensions between the sides are making talks ever less likely.
