The European Council is due to discuss the situation in the Middle East again on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 December.
In a letter dated 9 December addressed to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the Spanish, Irish, Belgian and Maltese leaders would, according to Reuters, like EU leaders to reach a common position “urgently calling on the parties to declare a lasting humanitarian ceasefire that could lead to an end to hostilities” and calling for measures to immediately protect civilians in Gaza.
At the end of October, after hours of negotiations, EU leaders agreed to call for humanitarian pauses (see EUROPE 13280/1).
It promises to be a difficult discussion. While the UN General Assembly called (by 153 votes to 10 with 23 abstentions) on Tuesday 12 December for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, Europeans were divided. Seventeen Member States voted in favour, eight (Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia and Germany) abstained, while Austria and the Czech Republic voted against.
Following the Foreign Affairs Council, the leaders may also discuss action against Hamas, measures against violent settlers in the West Bank (see EUROPE 13311/3) and the future of the region.
See the draft conclusions of the European Council: https://aeur.eu/f/a4b (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with the editorial staff)