On Wednesday 17 April, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, reiterated their call for a ceasefire, respect for international law and an increase in the flow of humanitarian aid to the Middle East.
“The European Commission took note of Israel’s commitments to open new humanitarian aid access points in Gaza, including Ashdod port and the Erez crossing, and to increase aid deliveries from Jordan. However, this must be followed by meaningful actions as a matter of priority”, said Mr Borrell and Mr Lenarčič in a joint statement.
According to the European Commission, famine threatens more than 1 million Palestinians. In particular, 210,000 people are threatened with imminent starvation in northern Gaza.
On Thursday, Israel carried out further air strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to AFP. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, European leaders promised new restrictive measures against Iran, which carried out a drone and missile attack against Israel on the night of 13-14 April (see EUROPE 13393/1). (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)