FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
BRUSSELS “For this European Council we must keep one thing in mind: the Israel-Palestine conflict is the most controversial in the world and also within the EU.” The words spoken by a European diplomat on the eve of the EU summit help the long discussion yesterday between EU heads of state and government about the situation in the Middle East, which was reflected in the conclusions of the summit on which Lima worked tirelessly.
The compromise reached after five hours of discussion (not counting the negotiations between the Sherpas in recent days) is that the European Council calls for “continuous, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and that aid reaches those in need” with all necessary measures , including humanitarian corridors and breaks for humanitarian needs.” The adjective “humanitarian” is repeated several times in some lines so as not to convey the message that Israel must stop attacking Hamas bases.
Behind the semantic conflict lie different positions and sensitivities between the EU countries towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez entered the Palace of Europe where the summit is being held, he said he wanted “a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds” but if the conditions were not met, “there should at least be a humanitarian pause.” allow the channeling of the humanitarian aid that the Palestinian population urgently needs.” In the room, he called for a stronger formula in the conclusions than the “humanitarian pauses,” which comes as close as possible to the call for a “ceasefire.” There was another country besides Madrid. In addition, Madrid called for the inclusion of a rate of humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons in the Gaza Strip. But the majority of EU leaders did not agree to the ceasefire and leaned towards a “humanitarian pause” or “humanitarian breaks”. The confrontation was long and intense and at some point a stalemate arose which was then overcome.
Upon his arrival, Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended Israel, saying he had “no doubts” that “it is a democratic state with very humanitarian principles” and that the Israeli army “will respect the rules of international law.” At the same time, we must “provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Gaza, who are also victims of Hamas.”
In its conclusions, the European Council emphasizes the need to “avoid regional escalation”, the EU “stands ready to contribute to the revival of a political process based on the two-state solution” and endorses diplomatic initiatives for peace and security and for an international peace conference. For Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, commitment to de-escalation is necessary and “one of the most effective tools to defeat Hamas is to give concreteness and a time frame to the solution of the Palestinian issue and to give more weight to the Palestinian Authority.”
In the evening, the discussion continued on the other topics on the agenda: the review of the EU budget and support for Ukraine.