Condemning the Hamas attacks in Israel launched on Saturday 7 October, which have left hundreds dead and at least a hundred Israelis hostage, the Europeans have since stepped up their discussions with their partners on the situation in the Middle East.
On Monday 9 October, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, who is travelling in Oman, announced that a hybrid informal meeting of EU foreign ministers would be held on Tuesday 10 October to “discuss the implications of what has happened” and “consider the responses and next steps for the EU”, according to Peter Stano, spokesman for the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs will also be meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation with representatives of the EEAS.
The Hamas attack on Israel - condemned by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, and Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly - and the escalation of violence in the Middle East will be the subject of a topical debate on Wednesday afternoon, 11 October, at the autumn plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Since the attacks began, Mr Borrell has held talks with his Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, Saudi, Yemeni and Palestinian Authority counterparts. He also held a meeting with the US Secretary of State and the German and Italian Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, spoke with the Palestinian Prime Minister, the King of Jordan and the Presidents of Israel and Egypt.
Israel’s right to self-defence
In a statement issued on behalf of the European Union, the High Representative condemned in the strongest possible terms the multiple and indiscriminate attacks across Israel launched by Hamas, deeply deploring the loss of human life.
On Monday, at least 700 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured on the Israeli side.
“The EU calls for an immediate cessation of these senseless attacks and violence, which will only further increase tensions on the ground and seriously undermine Palestinian people’s aspirations for peace”, the High Representative stressed. The spokesman, Peter Stano, called as well for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. There are at least 150 of them. And many Israelis also missing.
Mr Stano stated that Mr Borrell highlighted the EU’s solidarity with Israel, “which has the right to defend itself, in accordance with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks”. Mr Stano also said that Israel had the right to defend itself, but that it was also important that the Palestinian people should not suffer.
More than 400 Palestinians are thought to have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in Israeli bombardments, and Israel has declared a full siege on Gaza, raising fears of a serious humanitarian crisis.
The High Representative, who had tried in recent months to revive the peace process, reiterated the importance of working towards a lasting peace by redoubling efforts in the Middle East peace process.
On the same page was Charles Michel, who during his telephone conversations, according to his spokesperson, reiterated the EU’s firm condemnation of terrorist violence, the urgent need for de-escalation and a cessation of hostilities, full respect for international humanitarian law and the need to preserve civilian life, the release of the hostages as soon as possible, and the need to tackle the root causes of the conflict.
The Chairs of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister (EPP, German), and of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Israel, Antonio López-Istúriz White (EPP, Spain), also strongly condemned the “odious” attack by Hamas terrorists, asserting the right of the Jewish state to defend itself. “We must not allow the opponents of peace to ruin the chances of reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in Israel and Palestine. We call on all peace partners to be present and active in order to get the peace process back on track”, they added.
EU suspends its aid to Palestinians
On Monday, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Olivér Várhelyi, announced that the Commission was suspending all payments to the Palestinians. “The scale of the terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point. There can be no business as usual”, said the Commissioner on X (formerly Twitter).
Mr Várhelyi announced that, as the biggest donor to the Palestinians, the European Commission was reviewing its entire portfolio of development projects, worth € 691 millions. According to him, all payments have been immediately suspended and all new budget proposals, including those for 2023, have been postponed until further notice.
However, at the end of the day, Ireland, Spain and Luxembourg denounced the announcement. According to Dublin, there is no legal basis for a unilateral decision of this kind by a European Commissioner.
The European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Janez Lenarčič, while condemning the Hamas terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms, reiterated that it was “imperative to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law”. “EU humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need will continue for as long as necessary”, he promised.
At the time of going to press, and more than 3 hours after Mr Várhelyi’s announcements, the European Commission had still not clarified the situation. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)