"I
believe it is necessary to launch an immediate and effective action
for a ceasefire and for both sides to start serious political
negotiations, otherwise things will get complicated," Mubarak
said in the ornate Arab-style presidential palace.
Earlier
Sunday, Mubarak called for a fresh effort by the international
diplomatic "quartet" on the Middle East to restore calm.
He
called on the quartet -- the European Union, Russia, the United
Nations and the United States -- to design a "neutral and
efficient mechanism to monitor the implementation" of its
"roadmap" to Middle East peace.
Such
a mechanism should "bring violence and counter-violence under
control and launch serious negotiations" to bring about a
Palestinian state, Mubarak said in a speech marking the 30th
anniversary of the victory of 1973 war against Israel.
'Unacceptable
Violation'
France
condemned the air strike inside Syria, saying it was "an
unacceptable violation of international law" and risked worsening
the already parlous situation in the Middle East.
"In
a Middle East rocked by crises, it is everybody's responsibility,
especially that of states in the region, to not add to the instability
and tensions. The struggle against terrorism, to which France is
resolutely committed, must be carried out in line with international
law," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"France
appeals for restraint so that reason might overcome the risk of
escalation," it said.
France
is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, while Syria holds
a temporary seat on the body.
International
Law
The
British Foreign Office, for its part, said that Israel must comply
with international law.
"Israel
is of course entitled to take steps to protect itself from terrorist
attacks but these steps should be within international law," a
ministry spokesman told AFP.
"We
have already urged and will continue to urge all sides to exercise
restraint," he added.
He
said the international "roadmap offers a good basis for a
peaceful settlement but every act of violence only makes it more
difficult to get back to that process."
'Dangerous
Escalation'
|
|
|
"The
attack is aggression against a brother country which could drag
the entire region into a downward spiral of violence,"
Moasher
|
Jordan
also condemned the Israeli raid, calling it "aggression" and
a "dangerous escalation," the Jordanian news agency Petra
reported.
Jordanian
Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher said the attack is "aggression
against a brother country which could drag the entire region into a
downward spiral of violence," Petra said.
Moasher
also hit out at both the raid and Saturday's attack in Haifa, saying
that "the time has come to radically reconsider such military
operations and operations carried out by certain organizations such as
yesterday's."
The
minister expressed concern regarding this "dangerous escalation
in step of Israeli violence which does not at all help the peace
process."
"We
cannot stay in this spiral of violence which threatens the peace
process, and Israel has to realize that its current policies are not
leading to regional stability," Moasher said.
The
Jordanian foreign minister emphasized the need to speed up the
"roadmap" peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians which
"guarantees reciprocal commitments and puts an end to Israeli
occupation."
Iraqi
Council Condemns
A
senior assistant to Iyad Allawi, the current president of Iraq's
Governing Council, also denounced the Israeli escalation, saying such
actions undermined the Middle East peace process.
"We
don't accept any military operation against any country in the region
because it will stop the peace process in the whole area,"
Ibrahim Janadi, the executive secretary of Allawi's Iraqi National
Accord, told AFP.
Allawi
is the head of the interim Governing Council in Iraq for October and
the security chief of the U.S.-selected body. He was not immediately
available to comment on the Israeli raid.
The
Arab League will hold an emergency meeting later Sunday to discuss the
"Israeli aggression" against Syria, said its assistant
secretary general, Ahmed ben Helli.
"An
emergency meeting at the level of delegates (Arab ambassadors) will be
held Sunday evening to discuss the Israeli aggression against a place
sheltering Palestinian refugees in Syria," he said.
