The EU continues to fail to reach an agreement on the ceasefire in Gaza
The heads of state and government of the European Union will discuss the war in Gaza this Friday on the second day of the summit. with the willingness of Spain, Belgium, Ireland and Malta to call for a humanitarian ceasefire, a proposal that does not find the necessary unanimity.
“The situation has deteriorated dramatically. “Our goal must be to end human suffering on both sides,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo upon his arrival on the second day of the summit. For this to be possible, there must be “a complete humanitarian ceasefire and the hostages must be released,” he said.
De Croo, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez; Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar; and the Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, They sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel last week calling on the EU to support a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. However, Varadkar acknowledged upon his arrival that there was not the necessary unanimity in the EU today, with the Twenty-Seven voting divided last Tuesday on the UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire.
Among the EU countries, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovakia abstained, while Austria and the Czech Republic voted against. According to Varadkar, these two countries believe that a ceasefire will prevent Israel from “pursuing Hamas terrorists.”