On Monday 13 November, the European Foreign Affairs Ministers agreed on the necessary conditions for a post-conflict situation in Gaza.
“The idea is to try, in the medium and long term, to find a post-conflict solution, to achieve permanent stabilisation in order to build peace between Israelis and Palestinians and for the region as a whole”, explained the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, at the end of the ‘Foreign Affairs’ Council.
In his view, the conflict in Gaza “should be an opportunity to finally find a two-State solution. It’s not about rebuilding Gaza, it’s about building a Palestinian State”.
The High Representative announced that the EU was going to work “without further delay” with the United States and the Arab countries - even if the latter are not prepared to talk about the aftermath in order to focus on the current situation, according to him. The European position is based on six points: three ‘yes’ votes and three ‘no’ votes, according to Mr Borrell.
Therefore, Europeans reject any forced displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, and their expulsion to other countries. They are also opposed to the reduction of the territory of Gaza or to any territorial modification and to an occupation by the Israeli armed forces or the return of Hamas. The dissociation of Gaza from the overall problem of Palestine is not defended by the Europeans either.
The Ministers advocate finding the right players who will commit to finding the right solution. “We believe that a Palestinian authority must return to Gaza, whose constituent elements and parameters must be defined by the United Nations Security Council and which must receive broad support”, explained Mr Borrell.
The ministerial meeting also highlighted the need for a strong commitment from Arab countries, not just in financial terms, for the reconstruction of Gaza, but also for the construction of a Palestinian State.
Finally, the Ministers want a firmer commitment from the EU in the region, particularly in the construction of the Palestinian State. “We were too absent from the solution to the problem, which we ultimately delegated to the United States. We need to get more involved. Otherwise, we will be going through a cycle of violence that will be perpetuated from generation to generation”, warned Mr Borrell.
The High Representative announced that he would be visiting Israel, Palestine, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan later this week to discuss humanitarian access and assistance as well as political issues with regional leaders.
“We need a political horizon looking towards the two-State solution. This can only be achieved through dialogue”, he said on X (formerly Twitter). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)