The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called on Saturday 28 January for a reversal of the spiral of violence in the Middle East after the deaths of several Israelis and Palestinians.
On Friday 27 January, seven Israelis were killed in a shooting outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem, in a Jewish settlement area; and two people were shot and wounded, one seriously, on Saturday 28 January in a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem in another attack by a 13-year-old Palestinian.
On Thursday, in Jenin, at least nine Palestinians were killed and more than 20 injured during an operation by the Israeli Defence Forces. This brings the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank to 30 since the start of this year, according to the High Representative, who mentioned that in 2022, more than 150 people were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, including 30 children, the highest number since the end of the second intifada in 2005.
Deeply concerned about the escalating tensions in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, the High Representative called on both sides, in a statement on Jenin, to do their utmost to de-escalate the situation and revive security coordination, “which is vital to prevent further acts of violence”. In a separate statement on the attacks in East Jerusalem, Mr Borrell said that these “terrible events demonstrate once again how urgent it is to reverse this spiral of violence and engage in meaningful efforts to restart peace negotiations”. He called on all parties not to react to provocations.
On Monday 30 January, European External Action Service spokesman Peter Stano said that the EU was very active and engaged in its interactions with its partners, including through its Special Representative, and that it supported all efforts to reinstate a process of discussion between the Israelis and the Palestinians. “Without a credible perspective for both sides, it will not be possible to escape the spiral of violence”, Mr Stano said.
Referring to the events of the last few days in his statements, the High Representative explained that the EU was “horrified” by the “appalling” terrorist attack on the synagogue and the one in East Jerusalem, strongly condemning “these acts of insane violence and hate”.
While fully recognising Israel’s legitimate security concerns, Mr Borrell explained that “lethal force must only be used as a last resort when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)