Meeting at the European Council in Brussels on Thursday 17 October, the twenty-seven Heads of State or Government of the countries of the European Union stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of Israeli hostages and humanitarian access, and called for a lasting end to hostilities.
At the end of two hours of discussions, the leaders reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to support de-escalation efforts in the Middle East and to step up its humanitarian aid, particularly in response to the growing needs of the most vulnerable populations in the region.
They stressed the “essential role” of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and condemned any Israeli attempt to revoke the 1967 agreement between Israel and UNRWA (see EUROPE 13503/1).
Iran. European leaders condemned the Iranian attacks on Israel on 1 October (see EUROPE 13495/15) and “Iran’s seriously destabilising actions” via armed groups such as the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.
Lebanon. The EU27 called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. They called for respect for Lebanese sovereignty, reaffirmed the EU’s support for state institutions, in particular the Lebanese Armed Forces, and for a coordinated international response to strengthen the country’s stability.
The conclusions adopted by the EU27 were only slightly modified from the draft text discussed prior to the summit (see EUROPE 13505/4). While the attacks against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were strongly condemned, responsibility, which had been explicitly attributed to the Israel Defence Forces, was withdrawn on Thursday.
The European Council called on all parties to guarantee the safety of UN peacekeeping forces and personnel. “Nowhere should the UN Secretary-General be declared ‘persona non grata’”, it stressed.
Peace process. Reiterating Israel’s right to defend itself, the leaders stressed the need to put an end to the spiral of violence and reprisals.
I have asked that countries that export arms to Israel to stop doing so, as Spain has done since the beginning of the crisis, on 7 October 2023”, said the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.
The EU27 reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution and to supporting international efforts to move towards a just and lasting peace in the region.
“This lasting peace can only be achieved with a strong and reformed Palestinian Authority”, declared the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recalling that EU financial support of €110 million for the Palestinian Authority was being prepared (see EUROPE 13465/3).
Death of Yahya Sinwar. On Thursday, the Israeli army announced that it had eliminated three terrorists in a military operation in Rafah, including one of the masterminds of the attacks of 7 October 2023, Yahya Sinwar.
“His death is certainly significantly weakening Hamas”, said Ms von der Leyen, while the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, spoke of “the death of a person responsible for immense suffering”.
“He is widely recognised as the architect of the seventh of October 2023 terrorist attacks. (...) Every reasonable soul in the world has condemned them. (...) I personally will not miss him”, said NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, after a meeting of Defence Ministers.
To see the conclusions of the European Council: https://aeur.eu/f/dy2 (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)