Peace in the Middle East will only be reached if there is an immediate ceasefire complemented by a two-state solution, Prime Minister Robert Abela said Friday.

This position was expressed in a letter Abela and the prime ministers of Spain, Ireland and Belgium sent to the European Council president Charles Michel.

The letter demanded that the council takes a strong position on the situation in the Middle East.

The world cannot continue to accept atrocities on innocent people. The crisis in the Middle Easr demands a clear signal from the council, Abela said in a summit of European leaders in Brussels.

He expressed his disappointment that there was no agreement to push for international pressure to deal with the prevailing circumstances. He said he expected European institutiosn to be consistent with positions taken on other conflicts, he said.

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip must be addressed while the resolution led by Malta in the United Nations must also be implemented.

While measures should be taken to ensure Israel’s security, the Palestinian Authority must be strengthened, financially and politically, to be able to lead the Gaza Strip and West Bank in an effective manner, Abela said.

He said he was comncerned that the situation could escalate into a regional conflict with negative effects on the neighbouring countries.

Abela said the council’s decision to start negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on membership in the European Union is a positive step towards reforms that will bring these two countries closer to the EU. Malta will continue to sustain Ukraine through humanitarian help.