The European Union Representative's office in Jerusalem has criticized racist statements made by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in which he called for the "destruction" of the Palestinian town of Huwwara.

“The comments made by Smotrich are unacceptable. They incite to indiscriminate violence in a situation which is already extremely tense,”  the EU warned in a press statement.

The EU voiced its "grave concerns over the increasing violence on the ground. Urgent de-escalation measures were required."

The statement added, “The comments of Mr Smotrich go in the opposite direction and are unacceptable and intolerable.”

“We call on the Israeli government to disavow those comments and to work together with all the parties involved to defuse tensions.”