by Andrew Gray and Jan Strupczewski
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union heads of state and government agreed at a summit on Thursday to call for the establishment of “humanitarian corridors and pauses” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow the delivery of aid to the population of Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis has worsened.
“The European Council expresses its strong concern about the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and calls for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to those in need.” – he writes in a press release approved by European leaders, who ask for “all necessary measures” including humanitarian corridors and pauses in the conflict.
This is the first physical meeting of the community bloc’s leaders since the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. Since then, the Jewish state has been carrying out a massive bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, a predominantly urban and densely populated area.
EU countries all strongly condemned the Hamas attack but differed on the wording to adopt in the face of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Countries including France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Ireland supported the United Nations’ pressing calls for a pause in fighting on humanitarian grounds.
But others such as Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria objected that such language could limit Israel’s right to defend itself and allow Hamas to regroup its forces, diplomats said.
A compromise reached ahead of the Brussels summit called for “breaks”, in the plural, suggesting short pauses in fighting in order to allow specific missions – such as the release of hostages or the passage of humanitarian convoys – rather than the establishment of a formal ceasefire.
“The European Union will work closely with its partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, ensuring that this aid will not be diverted by terrorist organizations,” it is said in the press release.
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT UKRAINE
Although the European Union’s influence over the conflict is limited, officials fear that an escalation could have serious consequences for Europe.
Some European leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have traveled to the Middle East in recent days to show solidarity with Israel and support diplomatic efforts to prevent a regional conflagration.
“Our meeting comes at a time of great international instability and insecurity, (and has been) recently exacerbated by developments in the Middle East,” said Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, in a letter of invitation to the summit.
“These developments require our attention, but without distracting us from our support for Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky will speak via videoconference, while support for Kyiv is expected to take first place in the European Council statement.
During the summit, EU leaders are to discuss for the first time proposals for 50 billion euros in financial aid and 20 billion euros in military aid to the Ukraine over a period of four years.
No decision on the issue is expected immediately, however, as the plans are part of broader budget discussions that officials hope to conclude by the end of the year.
(Reporting Andrew Gray and Jan Strupczewski, with contributions from Julia Payne, Philip Blenkinsop; French version Camille Raynaud and Jean-Stéphane Brosse, editing by Blandine Hénault and Jean Terzian)
©2023 Thomson Reuters, all rights reserved. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Reuters” and the Reuters Logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies.