Prague/Brussels - Israel's land attack on the Gaza Strip was expected, but cannot justify the suffering inflicted on the civilian population, the European Union's presidency said in a statement Sunday.

"Launching land operations by the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip is not surprising, there were indications that Israel had been considering this step. But even the indisputable right of the state to defend itself does not allow actions which largely affect civilians," the Czech government said.

The Czech Republic currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, having taken over the role from France on Thursday.

Brussels  - The European Union's executive on Sunday pledged 3 million euros (4.2 million dollars) in emergency aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip affected by Israel's week-long bombardment, even as Israeli tanks pushed into the territory.

The European Commission "will provide an extra 3 million euros' relief assistance in the Gaza Strip ... The aid will be deployed as rapidly as possible to meet the basic needs of people affected by the Israeli airstrikes and by continuing access restrictions," a statement released in Brussels said.

The EU is already the largest aid donor to the Palestinian Territories, providing over 73 million euros in humanitarian assistance in 2008, according to official figures.

Brussels  - European Union representatives are to hold an emergency meeting on the Russian-Ukrainian gas row on Monday and could send an investigating team to the two countries within days, officials in Brussels confirmed Saturday.

The permanent ambassadors of the EU's 27 member states - their highest representatives in Brussels - are to hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss Russia's shut-off of gas to Ukraine, EU officials told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Prague  - The European Union Saturday threatened to bypass Russia and Ukraine for the bloc's gas needs if irregularities in Russian gas supplies via Ukraine persist in the future, Czech officials said.

Czech Vice-Premier for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra said the EU was ready to speed up work on Nord Stream and South Stream pipelines that would bring Russian gas to Europe without passing through Ukraine.

Moscow/Kiev/Prague  - Russian natural gas deliveries fell in downstream markets on Saturday, drawing a sharp European Union demand that the Kremlin and Ukraine end a row over energy.

The volumes of Russian natural gas pumped via Ukrainian pipelines to Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia were all were reportedly down, with Romania registering a 33 per cent cut in deliveries.

Budapest/Brussels  - The European Union reported the first impacts of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian gas row on Friday evening as three member states in Central and Eastern Europe reported falling gas pressure in their pipelines.

Pipeline pressure is down in the main pipes leading from Ukraine into EU members Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the Czech Republic's energy envoy, Vaclav Bartuska, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The Czech Republic currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.

"It is so far only a decrease in pressure. The volumes (being delivered) remain the same ... The Ukrainian side told us that volumes will be down tomorrow (Saturday)," Bartuska said.