LONDON: The EU’s foreign policy chief said on Saturday that Europe had to unite and work with its Middle Eastern partners to push for an end to hostilities in Gaza.
After his trip to the Middle East to meet with leaders and officials to discuss the crises in the region, Josep Borrell said that the conflict between Israel and Hamas was the “most urgent geopolitical issue we have to deal with.”
Borrell said, after discussions with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, that he counted the Kingdom as one of the EU’s main partners — alongside Jordan, Egypt and the Arab League — in trying to revive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and bring the two-state solution back to the fore.
“With my Saudi interlocutors, we discussed the situation in Gaza,” he said.
“Our analyses converged on several critical points: The need for a rapid end to the fighting and the release of hostages, the need to avoid a forced displacement of Palestinians outside of the enclave and the need for a rapid withdrawal of Israeli forces at the end of the military operation,” he added.
Borrell added that he also discussed with Saudi officials the efforts being taken to halt Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
“We also discussed the risks of the conflict spreading to the wider region. This included the precarious situation in the Red Sea as a result of attacks by Houthi rebels on merchant ships,” he said.
“For our part, we are discussing options to help restore freedom of navigation, including the creation of a new European maritime operation alongside mission Atalanta, which is already operating off the coast of Somalia,” he added.
During his visit to Lebanon, Borrell spoke with caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati and other political figures about the need to avoid the country being drawn into a wider conflict with Israel.
“I conveyed to all my interlocutors our deep concern at the risk of seeing Lebanon drawn into a conflict with Israel, and our desire to help prevent such a disastrous development,” he said.
“All of them, including the representative of Hezbollah, told me they were equally eager to avoid being pulled into such a downward spiral.”
Borrell also spoke to UNRWA Commissioner General Philipe Lazzarini, reiterating the EU’s support for the humanitarian organization, its opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and its backing for more aid to be allowed into the enclave.
Lazzarini on Saturday said that the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was “staining humanity,” as the conflict moved into its 100th day.
“The massive death, destruction, displacement, hunger, loss and grief of the last 100 days are staining our shared humanity,” he said in a statement as he visited the Gaza Strip.
“It’s been 100 days since the devastating war started, killing and displacing people in Gaza, following the horrific attacks that Hamas and other groups carried out against people in Israel. It’s been 100 days of ordeal and anxiety for hostages and their families.”
Borrell also said that following his trip to the Middle East, he was confident the EU and its regional partners can work together toward resolving the crises.
“Returning from this mission, my conviction has only deepened on the urgency for the EU to intensify its involvement in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, I am also more convinced than ever of the feasibility of doing so in close cooperation with our regional partners,” he said.
“Since Oct. 7, there have been divergent views within the EU on how to react to the conflict in Gaza. This lack of consensus has weakened the EU in the region and prevented us from having influence on events, despite the fact that we are very directly impacted by this conflict and its consequences.
“The time has come for us to unite and shoulder our responsibility to push for an end to the hostilities in Gaza, and work with our partners to actively pursue the implementation of the two-state solution.”
