The Heads of State or Government of the countries of the European Union should call for “an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza, according to draft European Council conclusions dated 11 March.
Describing the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic” and underlining the risk of famine in the Gaza Strip, the European Council should call for “full,rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access into and throughout the Gaza Strip” in order to provide “life-saving assistance and basic services at scale” to civilians, in particular via the sea corridor from Cyprus (see EUROPE 13369/3).
On Wednesday 13 March, the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, Konstantínos Kómbos, announced that a second ship was being checked at the port of Larnaca. This one will leave if the unloading of the first vessel goes well.
On the same day, the European Commission announced the dispatch of three EU civil protection experts to Gaza.
In addition, while condemning the Hamas attacks and recognising Israel’s right to defend itself “in line with international law and international humanitarian law”, the EU27 should “urge the Israeli government to refrain from a ground operation in Rafah, where well over a million Palestinians are currently seeking safety from the fighting and access to humanitarian assistance”.
On Wednesday, UNRWA announced that at least one of its employees had been killed and 22 others injured in an Israeli strike on a food distribution centre in the eastern part of Rafah.
The European Council should also reiterate that violations of international humanitarian law must “undergo an independent and in-depth investigation” and ensure accountability. It should also stress the importance of respecting and implementing the “legally binding” Order of the International Court of Justice of 26 January 2024.
Beyond the situation in Gaza, European leaders could stress that the services provided by UNRWA throughout the region are indispensable and welcome the recent financial support provided by the EU.
The reference to the UN agency in the draft conclusions poses a problem for some Member States, said a European source, speaking after a preparatory discussion by the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU.
The European Council should call for restraint in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and “strongly” condemn the violence of Jewish settlers. “Those responsible must be held accountable”, the leaders should stress, calling for work to be speed up with a view to adopting the relevant restrictive measures. These measures are being blocked by Hungary.
Heads of State or Government should urge the Israeli government to reverse its decisions to further expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank (see EUROPE 13366/16). And they will point out that the EU is ready to contribute to relaunching the political process leading to peace in the Middle East.
See the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/baa (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Bernard Denuit)