BRUSSELS, October 20. /TASS/. More than 850 employees from EU institutions and overseas missions have written a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging her to immediately call for a ceasefire in Israel and condemning the "unconditional support" for Israel pledged by the EC and other EU institutions, as well voicing displeasure with Israel’s disproportionate reaction to Hamas’ attacks, Euractiv reported.

The Brussels-based pan-European media network added that more and more European officials continue to sign the letter.

"We urge you to call, together with the leaders of the whole Union, for a ceasefire and for the protection of civilian life. This is at the core of the EU existence," Euractiv said citing the letter.

"Notably, we are concerned about the unconditional support by the European Commission you represent, for one of the two parties," the letter said.

The signatories expressed their concern about "the seeming indifference demonstrated over the past few days by our institution toward the ongoing massacre of civilians in the Gaza Strip, in disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law."

"We, a group of EU Commission and other EU institutions’ staff solemnly condemn on personal grounds the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against helpless civilians <…>. We equally strongly condemn the disproportionate reaction by the Israeli government against the 2.3 million Palestinian civilians trapped in the Gaza Strip," they said.

"Precisely because of these atrocities, we are surprised by the stance the European Commission has taken - and even other EU institutions - promoting what has been described in the press as European cacophony," the media network said citing the letter.

The information about the letter was made public when all the EU leaders arrived in Washington for the EU-US Summit.

EU institutions have about 32,000 staff. Thus, the letter criticizing top EU officials has so far been signed by slightly less than 3% of European officials and diplomats.