In a gloomy report to the European Parliament, the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said there is a real danger the Israeli-Palestinian crisis could degenerate into a region-wide conflict after last weekend's Israeli air strikes on Syria. Solana said: "The government of Israel has not only the right but the obligation to take measures to protect its citizens against terrorism. But, for that fight to be effective, it must be conducted within international law. There's no alternative. In such a volatile region, it's essential that the actions of all parties try to reduce tension, not increase it." Solana called on Israel to stop building new settlements and its "security fence" on Palestinian territory in the West Bank, beyond its 1967 borders. "Israel must (...) put an end to its settlement policy, put an end to the building of a separation wall that invades territories far beyond the 1967 lines, put an end to the policy of selective assassinations and other measures contrary to international law," he said. Several speakers in the parliamentary debate compared the "security fence" to the Berlin Wall and the former Iron Curtain that divided Europe for half a century. Israel says the barrier is needed to keep out 'suicide' bombers who have killed hundreds of its citizens during the Palestinian uprising for independence. Palestinians call the project a land grab. **PHOTO CAPTION*** EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned the United States against loosening its diplomatic focus on the Middle East peace process as it gears up for presidential elections. (AFP/File/Susan Farley)