UN Secretary General Kofi Annan calls for immediate end to the practice of "extrajudicial killings" by AFP 11:09am 18th Apr, 2004   April 18, 2004    UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today condemned Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, calling on the Israeli government to "immediately end" the practice of "extrajudicial killings".    Such killings, Annan said in a statement issued by his spokesman, "are violations of international law."    The spokesman said Annan was "apprehensive that such an action would lead to further deterioration of an already distressing and fragile situation" in the Middle East.    "The only way to halt an escalation in the violence is for Israelis and Palestinians to work towards a viable negotiating process aimed at a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement, based on the Quartet's Road Map," said Annan.    He referred to the road map for Middle East peace drawn by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia..    AFP.    EU's Javier Solana condemns killing of Rantissi.    EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana condemned Israel's killing of Hamas chief Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, saying it would not help the Middle East peace process.    He said that during a meeting of European foreign ministers in Tullamore, Ireland Saturday, "we urged an end to violence and terrorism as well as the resumption of a ceasefire embracing all parties and groups. "Today's action will not facilitate a positive outcome of this process," he said.    Rantissi was assassinated in an air strike in Gaza City on Saturday night, less than a month after Hamas founder and spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike.    "Israel has a right to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, but actions of this type are not only unlawful, they are not conducive to lowering tension," he said.
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