Hamas urges EU to up pressure on Israel over Gaza

"We urge the European Union not to limit its action topurely calling for an end to the siege but also to applypolitical and practical pressure on Israel," Hamas officialSami Abu Zuhri said.

On Thursday, EU lawmakers urged Israel not to inflict"collective punishment" on Gaza's population, saying itsisolation of the territory had failed and its actions wereendangering civilians.

Zuhri said Hamas welcomed the parliamentary resolution.

Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza last June after Hamasrouted forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movementand seized control of the impoverished coastal territory.Israel said its tightened restrictions were in response tocross-border rocket fire by Gaza militants.

Israeli air strikes and ground incursions into the GazaStrip have killed some 300 Palestinians in the past year,including dozens of civilians, but have failed to preventrocket fire which killed two Israelis in the same period.

Shunned by the West for refusing to renounce violence afterbeating Abbas's Fatah faction in a parliamentary election twoyears ago, Hamas says it would cease fire if Israel stopped itsmilitary operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Hamas is also demanding an end to the Israeli-led blockadethat has cut supplies to the territory's 1.5 million people.

"As for rockets, the problem is the (Israeli) occupation,aggression and the siege imposed on our people. We in Hamas areready to study any initiative that could contribute to endingthe Israeli aggression on our people," Zuhri said.

The EU has thrown its support behind a proposal by Abbas'sgovernment to take control of Gaza's border crossings withIsrael and Egypt to allow in supplies.

"We see initial signs of restlessness among the Europeansbut nothing concrete," said an Israeli government official.

EU lawmakers have no power over the bloc's foreign policy.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Adam Entous; Writing byJoseph Nasr in Jerusalem; Editing by Catherine Evans)