BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Twenty-six of the 27 states that make up the European Union have called for “an immediate humanitarian pause likely to lead to a lasting ceasefire” in Gaza, the Union’s High Representative announced on Monday European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell.
The European Union also warned Israel against a ground offensive in Rafah, a plan likely to amplify the humanitarian crisis of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have taken refuge in the city located in the far south of the Gaza Strip. .
The break that European countries are calling for should allow hostages held in Gaza to be released and humanitarian aid to be delivered to the Palestinian territory, added Josep Borrell.
Only Hungary, known to be close to Israel, refused to join this call, diplomats said.
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“An attack on Rafah would be absolutely catastrophic (…) and completely unreasonable,” warned the head of Irish diplomacy, Micheal Martin, before the meeting of 27 European foreign ministers.
Josep Borrell, for his part, said he wanted to exert constant pressure on Israel so that its government understands that it will be impossible to prevent civilians from being killed.
“This will, without a doubt, go against humanitarian laws,” he said.
Israel describes the town of Rafah as the “last stronghold” of Hamas and intends to intensify its military operations in the south of the Gaza Strip to achieve its announced objective of “eradicating” the Palestinian group responsible for the October 7 attack which left 1,200 dead and during which 250 people were kidnapped, according to the Israeli authorities.
While the Israeli army initially focused its bombings and operations in the north of the Gaza Strip, the southern tip of the enclave was perceived by Palestinian civilians as a sanctuary.
Nearly 1.5 million people are in Rafah, six times more than before October 7, according to data from the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). It is also via this city that humanitarian aid brought to the enclave since the start of the conflict has been delivered.
(Andrew Gray; French version Nicolas Delame and Tangi Salaün)
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