Brussels EU foreign ministers on Tuesday called for an immediate halt to fighting between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid. However, they did not agree on a joint statement calling on Israel to “adequately defend” against attacks from the Gaza Strip.
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After an extraordinary video conference with government representatives, the head of the EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, stated that the joint communiqué was not supported by Hungary.
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“The priority is to put an immediate end to all violence and establish a ceasefire. Not just an agreement, but its practical observance, “said Borrell. The text, which he presented to ministers during informal talks on Tuesday, condemns the violence of Hamas, which the EU ranks among terrorist groups, and fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself. However, the Jewish state must implement this “in an appropriate manner and respect international humanitarian law.”
The mutual shelling of Israel and the Gaza Strip lasts a week, during which over 200 Palestinians and dozens of Israeli people died. During the worst escalation of the conflict since 2014, the Palestinian side reported more than 1,400 wounded, and Israel nearly three hundred. The Israeli military claims that it targets mainly terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but civilians are also dying in Gaza.
According to Borrell, the EU intends to become more involved in the area, especially in cooperation with the United States. The Union will send Sven Koopmans as its new Special Representative for the Middle East peace process. He should discuss with the representatives of the USA, Russia and the United Nations the possibilities of resolving the conflict.
According to Borrell, the proposed joint text was supported by 26 of the 27 member states on Tuesday. Hungary refused to join. Member States have long been divided in relation to Israel and its role in Middle East tensions, making it impossible for the Union to play a greater role in the region. Some Western European countries, such as Belgium and Ireland, are pushing for a more critical stance on the actions of the Jewish state, as was said at Tuesday’s video conference. By contrast, Hungary, the Czechia and some other states in the eastern wing of the EU are among Israel’s allies reluctant to make stronger statements to him.
“I generally have a problem with the European declarations on Israel … They are not very useful, especially in the current circumstances, when there is so much tension,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told AFP.
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The Czech Foreign Ministry stated on Twitter that during a video conference, the Czech Republic emphasized “the need to immediately stop rocket attacks by terrorist groups on Israel and underlined Israel’s full right to defend itself against them.”
MEPs also debated the current conflict on Tuesday, calling for an immediate ceasefire on both sides. At the same time, they condemned the wave of anti-Semitic rhetoric seen in a number of European cities over the past week.
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