Speaking on the evening of Wednesday 22 February, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, deplored the death earlier in the day of at least ten Palestinians, including a minor, during an ‘anti-terrorist operation’ by Israeli security forces in Nablus, in the occupied Palestinian territories. Nearly 100 people were also injured.
“The EU deplores the death of civilians and reiterates that the use of force must be proportionate, in full respect of international humanitarian law, and come only as a last resort when strictly unavoidable to protect life”, the High Representative said in a statement. He also stressed that the EU was “deeply alarmed” by the spiralling violence in the West Bank. Borrell said it was of the utmost importance that all parties work towards restoring calm and de-escalating tensions to avoid further loss of life.
The High Representative also expressed the EU’s strong support for the 20 February Presidential Statement adopted by the UN Security Council, urging all parties to adhere fully to it.
The statement “strongly” emphasizes the need for all parties to respect their international obligations and commitments and calls for calm and restraint and for refraining from provocative acts and incitement to violence, with a view, inter alia, to de-escalating the situation on the ground, restoring confidence, demonstrating a genuine commitment to the two-State solution and creating the conditions necessary for the promotion of peace
In the statement, the EU Council strongly opposes all unilateral measures that impede peace, including settlement construction and expansion. It also condemns all acts of violence against civilians.
See the UN statement: https://aeur.eu/f/5h7 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)