German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced "solidarity" with Israel in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, and called for a swift end to the worst Israeli-Palestinian violence in years. "The chancellor again sharply condemned the continued rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel and assured the prime minister of the German government's solidarity," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement after the call. "She reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself against the attacks." Given the many civilian lives lost "on both sides", the statement added, "the chancellor expressed her hope that the fighting will end as soon as possible." mfp/hmn/dl