The European Union's new foreign affairs chief has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying the world "cannot afford" another war in Gaza.
"We need a Palestinian state - that is the ultimate goal and this is the position of all the European Union," Federica Mogherini said during a visit to Gaza, devastated by its third conflict in six years.
Hamas and Israel fought a 50-day war in July and August which resulted in the deaths of 2,140 Palestinians and more than 70 Israelis.
Ms Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister who took over from Britain's Baroness Catherine Ashton as the top EU diplomat on 1 November, was visiting against a backdrop of surging Israeli-Palestinian tensions in annexed east Jerusalem.
She voiced hope that Gaza would avoid another major conflict.
"It is not only the people of Gaza that can't afford having a fourth war, all the world cannot afford this," she said.
"We cannot just sit and wait. If we sit and wait it will go on for another 40 years. We have to have action now."
Palestinians are seeking to achieve statehood in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank with east Jerusalem as the capital.
Sweden last month became the first EU member in western Europe to officially recognise the state of Palestine.
Asked whether the EU might do the same, Ms Mogherini said that such a move was "not among the competences" of the 28-nation bloc.
Her visit came as a 22-year-old was shot dead by security forces In the village of Kfar Kana in northern Israel after intervening in the dawn arrest of one of his relatives, brandishing a knife, according to police.
Dozens of angry youths later erected barricades and set fire to tyres on the outskirts of the village as police deployed reinforcements.
The shooting followed another night of clashes in east Jerusalem with youths throwing stones and firecrackers against police who used rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas.
The spike in violence came after a driver rammed his car into a crowd of pedestrians in east Jerusalem on Wednesday before getting out and attacking people with a metal bar - killing a policeman and injuring nine other people before he was shot dead.
On Friday, a young Israeli also died of injuries sustained in the attack.
Speaking during her first official visit to Jerusalem, Ms Mogherini said there was a real "urgency" to pick up and advance the moribund peace process.
She also flagged up Israel's settlement building on lands the Palestinians want for a future state as an "obstacle" to a negotiated peace.
Shortly afterwards, the Italian politician met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who tersely dismissed all criticism of his settlement policy.
Ms Mogherini had been scheduled to meet Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah in Gaza but he cancelled his trip after a series of bombs there on Friday hit the homes and cars of Fatah officials.
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