On Saturday 2 March, the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, urged the United Nations Security Council to call for an urgent cessation of hostilities in the Middle East.
In a statement, Mr Borrell reiterated the “absolute necessity” of allowing full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access in order to provide rapid, massive and adequate aid in response to the needs of the civilian population of Gaza. “Unabated fighting and disregard for international humanitarian law will lead to complete chaos making the distribution of humanitarian aid impossible,” he warned.
Mr Borrell stressed that “immediate humanitarian pause, leading to a lasting ceasefire is urgently needed to enable the large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians in Gaza”. Negotiations for a truce to mark Ramadan resumed in Cairo on Sunday.
Recalling that Israel had the right to defend itself within the limits of international humanitarian law, the High Representative condemned the restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of humanitarian aid and the opening of crossing points.
“We urge Israel to fully cooperate with the UN agencies and other humanitarian actors involved in the humanitarian response and to allow free, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access through all crossing points,” he added. In his view, airdrops should be the last resort, as their impact is minimal and not without risks for civilians. The United States dropped aid to Gaza over the weekend; and Belgium, the Netherlands and France announced that they would do the same. For its part, Cyprus is still working on a maritime corridor.
Mr Borrell also called for an impartial international investigation into the deaths of around a hundred civilians “when desperately trying to get food from a convoy, many of them victims of the Israeli army fire during the ensuing stampede” (see EUROPE 13362/15). “The firing by Israeli soldiers against civilians trying to access foodstuff is unjustifiable,” stressed Mr Borrell, adding that the enquiry should provide a clear picture of what happened and who was responsible.
“In any case, it is Israel's responsibility to comply with the rules of international law and to protect the distribution of humanitarian aid to civilian populations,” he said, adding that this incident was due to the restrictions imposed by the Israeli army and the obstruction of humanitarian aid by violent extremists. “This very serious incident reveals that the restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assistance contribute to create scarcity, hunger and disease, but also a level of desperation that brings about violence,” he denounced. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)