Due to demands from a group of countries to take a more critical stance towards Israel, a common position was not possible at Friday's EU summit in Brussels, it was said. Ireland, Belgium, Spain and Malta campaigned to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar criticized countries such as Austria and Germany for rejecting a ceasefire. These countries “believe this would prevent Israel from pursuing Hamas terrorists,” he said. “I cannot agree with this interpretation. It is possible to pursue terrorists without engaging in the kind of war and destruction that Israel is currently waging in Gaza.”
“It will no longer be as it was before this war”
Varadkar called for more pressure on the Israeli government. “His failure to grant the Palestinians their own state” is likely to affect relations between Israel and the EU in the future. “It won’t be like it was before this war.” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo agreed: “The killing of innocent civilians really has to stop now.”
debate
How does October 7th change the Middle East?
The four countries considered close to the Palestinians had previously called for a “serious debate” on the “humanitarian catastrophe” in the Gaza Strip in a joint letter. Countries close to Israel, such as Austria and Germany, came under pressure but apparently did not give in. The draft declaration for the EU summit included a space reserved for a part on the conflict in the Middle East. According to information from AFP, this part will now be omitted.
Abbas: “The US must intervene”
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the US to use its influence and stop Israel's attacks. “The US must intervene and force Israel to end its aggression against our people in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem,” he told US national security adviser Jake Sullivan at a meeting in Ramallah, the Palestinian news agency reported. WAFA.
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US to Israel: Limit the war to fighting Hamas
Sullivan had previously called on Israel not to direct war against the Palestinian civilian population. However, he also said that Israel has every right to defend itself and combat the radical Islamic group Hamas. One difficulty for Israel, he admitted, is that Hamas is using the population as a human shield.
Still hostages in the Gaza Strip
The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups carried out in Israel on October 7th. More than 1,200 people were killed and around 240 hostages were taken to Gaza. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and began a ground offensive in late October. According to Hamas, around 18,000 people have been killed in attacks in the Gaza Strip so far.
According to Israeli information, 135 hostages are currently detained in the isolated coastal area. As part of an agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas, 105 hostages were released. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. The Israeli military said Friday it has recovered the body of a French-Israeli hostage kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7. Elya Toledano's body was brought back to Israel.