On Monday 19 June, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service expressed deep concern about “the latest events in Jenin”, an Israeli military operation involving the use of helicopter gunships in a Palestinian refugee camp, which reportedly left at least five people dead and around 60 injured.
“Military operations must be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law”, the spokesperson emphasised in a press release.
They also underlined the EU’s concerns about plans to push ahead with the planning of more than 4,000 settlement units in the West Bank at the end of June. “The EU calls on Israel not to proceed with this”, warned the spokesman, pointing out that the settlements were an obstacle to peace and threatened the viability of the two-state solution.
Another area of concern is the changes adopted by the Israeli government on 18 June to the settlement planning and administration process, “which will expedite the planning and approval of settlements”.
According to the spokesperson, these unilateral measures run counter to the need to guarantee calm and defuse tensions on the ground. “The EU urges all parties to recommit themselves to de-escalation, and to pave the way towards a political horizon”, stressed the spokesperson. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)