Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has declined to sign a joint statement with her Nordic fellows that strongly criticizes Israel's actions in Gaza, local media reported Tuesday.

The social democratic leaders of Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland all attached their names to a letter which "condemns Israel's use of disproportionate violence" and calls on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza and occupation of the West Bank.

The message also calls on Israel to "stop its settlement policies."

However, as the only social democratic party leader who is also the head of a national government in the Nordic region, Thorning-Schmidt has chosen not to sign on to the strongly-worded message, according to the Danish news agency Ritzau.

Since Thorning-Schmidt is on holiday, acting spokeswoman Ane

Halsboe-Joergensen explained that the Danish government has chosen the EU track instead of signing with Thorning-Schmidt's Nordic colleagues.

The EU member states' foreign ministers agreed upon a unified European message on the Gaza conflict on July 22.

Halsboe-Joergensen stated that Denmark has a clear position on the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip.

"It is a very clear social democratic view that the actions we see from Israel during these weeks are way out of line, and it must be stopped. The Danish government has said it very clearly in the EU. We feel completely covered by the conclusions made within the EU," Halsboe-Joergensen was quoted by Ritzau as saying.

Israel has embarked on a massive offensive on Hamas-ruled Gaza on July 8. The devastating campaign claimed the lives of at least 1,100 people in Gaza, many of them were civilians, and killed 53 Israeli soldiers and three Israeli civilians. Endite

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