Immediate ceasefire demanded
EU toughens tone towards Israel
March 21, 2024, 10:20 p.m
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For weeks, the EU states have been unable to agree on a joint statement on the Gaza war. They are now demanding an immediate ceasefire from Israel and the abandonment of the planned ground offensive in Rafah.
The EU states are toughening their tone towards Israel and calling for an immediate ceasefire in view of the dramatic plight of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. EU Council President Charles Michel announced this after talks between heads of state and government at the EU summit. This should lead to a sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages held in the Gaza Strip and the provision of humanitarian aid, according to a statement adopted by the heads of state and government.
Israel is also urged not to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip, which would worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation and prevent urgently needed basic humanitarian assistance. Around 1.5 million civilians currently live in the city – most of them are refugees from other parts of the Gaza Strip.
The decision of the International Court of Justice of January 26th is also mentioned as the background to the demand. It gave Israel a binding mandate under international law to do everything possible to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip. All parties to the conflict must adhere to international law, including international humanitarian law.
Germany is moving away from Israel’s stance
The agreement on the declaration was preceded by weeks of discussions between the member states. Originally, statements on the Middle East conflict were to be published at summit meetings in December and early February. But the states were unable to agree on a line. Countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary in particular consider it inappropriate to call on Israel to show great restraint after the massacre by the Islamist Hamas in Israel on October 7th. On the other side, there are countries like Spain that consider Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip to be contrary to international law and would like a stronger reaction from the EU. Germany, which was initially in the camp of Israel’s biggest supporters, now occupies a middle position.
The Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip was triggered by a massacre that terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups carried out in Israel on October 7th. Around 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side. Israel responded with massive air strikes and, from the end of October, also with a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-affiliated health authority, significantly more than 30,000 people died in the Gaza Strip as a result of the military operation. More than 74,000 others were injured. This information cannot be independently verified.