EU leaders agreed on Thursday (21 March) to call for an “immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” in the Israel-Gaza war — marking the first common statement on the situation in the Middle East since October.
“It was extremely important to send a powerful and united message,” said EU council president Charles Michel after the summit meeting in Brussels.
With this message, we are a “credible actor” supporting all efforts for the two-state solution, Michel said.
This comes after US secretary of state Antony Blinken announced that Washington has submitted a draft resolution to the UN security council that calls for an “immediate and sustained ceasefire”.
To date, more than 31,000 people have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s blockade of humanitarian access is only exacerbating the situation of a population who is already facing famine in the north.
“The right of defence must be subject to law and must respect human life,” said Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa ahead of the meeting. “This situation isn’t acceptable,” he added.
“It [Israel] has also the duty to do everything possible to protect every civilian life,” said German EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
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Elena Sánchez Nicolás