The European Union issued a statement Tuesday on the security situation in Israel and Gaza after Israel conducted an operation targeting a senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic jihad. In response, rockets were fired from Gaza on southern and central Israel, the statement said.

“The firing of rockets on civilian populations is totally unacceptable and must immediately stop,” Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in Brussels. “A rapid and complete de-escalation is now necessary to safeguard the lives and security of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.”

The EU fully supports the efforts of Egypt in this regard, according to the official. “As the EU has consistently reiterated, only a political solution can put an end to these continuing cycles of violence,” the statement added.