MADRID, April 10 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - As U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell heads to Israel and the occupied territories, officials from the United Nations, the European Union, United States, and Russia warned Wednesday, April 10, against Israel’s military operations.

"There is no military solution to the conflict," said a joint statement issued after talks in Madrid involving U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique and E.U. Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana.

"The UN, EU, U.S., and Russia express their strong support for Secretary of State Powell's mission and urge Israel and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate fully with his mission and with their continuing efforts to restore calm and resume a political process.

"We call on the parties to move to a political resolution of their disputes based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 and 338 and the principle of land for peace - which formed the basis of the Madrid Conference of 1991.

"To enable progress towards our shared goals, we reaffirm that 1402 must be fully implemented immediately... We call on Israel to halt immediately its military operations. We call for an immediate, meaningful ceasefire and an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian cities including Ramallah, specifically including Chairman (Yasser) Arafat's headquarters.

"We call on Israel to fully comply with international humanitarian principles and to allow full and unimpeded access to humanitarian organizations... We call on Israel to refrain from excessive use of force and undertake all possible efforts to ensure the protection of civilians,” the statement added.

Powell reiterated his position that a political solution must be pressed hand-in-hand with efforts for a cease-fire. "Violence of whatever form ... at this point is counterproductive," Powell said. "It is totally destabilizing the region."

Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique and other European officials have begun to consider imposing trade sanctions against Israel if Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon does not reverse his military foray on the West Bank, but Powell said the trade issue did not come up at the talks Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official said details have not been worked out for Powell's weekend meeting with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, but that Powell still intends to see the Palestinian leader. Sharon said Wednesday that meeting would be a "tragic mistake."

Powell will be meeting in Madrid with King Juan Carlos of Spain later Wednesday and then having dinner with Ivanov, to discuss the Middle East as well as U.S.-Russian affairs including a planned arms-control summit in Moscow.

Powell is to fly to Jordan for discussions with the Jordanian king Thursday and then on Israel later in the day. "We are going to have to act more quickly," Powell said Tuesday after a round of talks with Arab leaders and an announcement that he would meet with Arafat.

Powell said he expected Israel to withdraw its troops from the West Bank, and all nations are obliged to do what they can to stop the fighting.

Setting no deadline to complete his mission, Powell said he would meet Arafat as well as Sharon in an effort to broker a truce. "I haven't set any departure date," the secretary said. "I am prepared to stay for some while."

Powell said the United States was willing to contribute a small detachment of State Department or other civilian U.S. government employees to monitor any cease-fire agreement. He said the Americans would not "prevent people from shooting each other."

Powell said all the Arab leaders with whom he met underscored the urgency of getting started on an accord, and doing it through Arafat as representative of the Palestinians. "Time is of the essence" for ending Middle East violence, he said after meeting with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

In Washington, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Tuesday that President Bush expects Israel "to withdraw and to do so now. ... The president believes all parties still have responsibilities. He's looking for results."

As for the American observers to monitor any cease-fire, Powell said "that would help with the confidence building, the restoring of trust between the two sides, get us back to where we were a few years ago."