2023-10-27 03:42:21
The union after the divisions. European leaders, meeting at a summit in Brussels, called Thursday evening for the establishment of “humanitarian corridors” and “pauses” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in order to be able to respond to the needs of the civilian populations in Gaza.
The heads of state and government of the 27 EU countries expressed their “deepest concern regarding the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza”, in a declaration defining a common line after more than two weeks of cacophony on the subject .
They called for “continuous, rapid, secure and unimpeded humanitarian access (…) to assist those in need by any means necessary, including humanitarian corridors and breaks for humanitarian needs.”
“No contradiction”, assures Ursula von der Leyen
“Unity is our strength,” greeted the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, on the social network X (formerly Twitter). The declaration required intense negotiations over the words used, with the Twenty-Seven seeking a balance between support for Israel and solidarity with civilians in Gaza.
“There are no contradictions between showing our solidarity with Israel and, of course, acting to meet the humanitarian aid needs for the inhabitants of Gaza,” stressed the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The summit was held after Israel announced that it had entered the Gaza Strip for several hours with tanks to “prepare the battlefield” for a ground offensive.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has shown unreserved support for this operation. “Israel is a democratic state with very humanitarian principles that guide it and we can therefore be sure that the Israeli army will respect the rules of international law in what it does. I have no doubt about that,” he said.
“Peace Conference”
In a brief declaration, adopted after five hours of discussions, the Twenty-Seven underline that the EU is in favor of the organization of an “international conference for peace” which would take place “soon”. This idea of a conference “in the next six months” was put forward by the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, upon his arrival.
The Twenty-Seven also reaffirm “Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with humanitarian and international law”. They reiterate their call to Hamas for the “immediate release of all hostages”.
The Twenty-Seven all strongly condemned the unprecedented attack launched on October 7 by Hamas, which according to Israel left at least 1,400 dead and 224 hostages, four of whom have been released since Friday evening.
But consensus is less strong on the question of stopping the bombings carried out in retaliation by Israel on the Gaza Strip, which have killed more than 7,000 people, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health which controls this Palestinian territory.
Support for Ukraine “as long as necessary”
This war in the Middle East has also aroused fears among some that it will eclipse the one that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for 20 months. And this, at a time when the crisis in the American Congress has raised questions about the sustainability of American military aid to kyiv.
The 27 strive to reassure. The EU will continue to support Ukraine “as long as necessary”, they say in their draft declaration.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also reiterated his wish to see his country join the EU as soon as possible, hoping to obtain the launch of accession negotiations during the next European summit in mid-December.
This question must be considered “from the angle of security”, he pleaded Thursday to European leaders whom he joined by videoconference. “Russia is not fighting today to stay in Mariupol or Crimea, but to be able to come to Tartu (in Estonia) or Gdansk (Poland),” he said.
“Russia is trying to change the borders of Ukraine, not only to capture one or another of our regions, but also to change all the borders that it does not like,” he said. still affirmed. Volodymyr Zelensky assured that his country was making all necessary efforts to respect European criteria. “We are counting on your unity in response – the decision to start negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. »
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