ISTANBUL 

European Union leaders urged Israel on Thursday to release withheld clearance revenues belonging to the Palestinian government, ease tensions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and halt illegal settlement activity and military operations.

In a statement on the outcomes of an EU summit in Brussels under the Middle East agenda, the leaders commended the diplomatic efforts by the US and the regional mediators.

The EU will continue to “provide support to the Palestinian Authority, including on ongoing reforms and to ensure its return to Gaza,” the statement said, adding the leaders called on Israel to release the withheld clearance revenues “to ensure the authority’s proper functioning.”

The leaders also urged Israel to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem and called for an end to “settler violence and settlement expansions, including Israel’s E1 settlement plan, and Israel’s military operation.”

Reiterating their commitment to a two-state solution, the EU leaders underscored the need for “the immediate, unimpeded and sustained distribution of humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza.”

“The EU will support the delivery of humanitarian aid, including via the Cyprus maritime corridor and by using its missions on border assistance at the Rafah crossing point and police support for the Palestinian Territories,” the statement noted.

“The European Union will continue to contribute to peace efforts and to actively engage with partners on the next steps,” the statement said, adding that it will make full use of missions such as the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM Rafah) and the EU Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS).