European leaders are calling for the establishment of humanitarian corridors to bring aid to Gaza and a pause in fighting. They made this joint statement at the summit in Brussels this evening. It was initially unclear whether a joint call would be made today due to differing views on the war.
The document stated that leaders of 27 countries were “deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.” It calls for “rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and assistance to those in need.” According to European leaders, this requires opening humanitarian corridors and suspending conflicts.
humanitarian crisis
There is a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Emergency aid from Egypt is slowly arriving, and Israel has cut off water, electricity and fuel to the Palestinian area. Every day there are serious bombings on Hamas targets and civilians are being killed. Israel repeatedly repeats that Hamas uses civilians as human shields.
The statement continued: “The European Union will work closely with its partners in the region to protect citizens, provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care and shelter.” It must be ensured that such aid is not misused by terrorist organizations.
The differences between Germany and Ireland are examples of different perspectives on the conflict within the EU. After the Hamas massacre in Israel, Germany was one of the first countries to give unconditional support to the Israeli government.
Conversely, Ireland attaches much greater importance to the fate of the Palestinians. While the reflex of other European countries was to openly stand behind Israel after Hamas’s major attack, Irish Prime Minister Varadkar immediately emphasized that “Israel’s reaction should be proportionate.”
“It’s not black and white”
Dutch politics is also interested in this issue. “The image that emerges is that the cabinet blindly supports Israel in everything that happens,” outgoing Prime Minister Rutte said at the start of the parliamentary debate on the war yesterday. According to him, it is not a black-white issue and “the country must comply with conditions such as international martial law.”
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
