At their Council meeting in Brussels on Monday 27 January, the European foreign affairs ministers discussed developments in the Middle East. They agreed to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, including through the redeployment of the EU Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EUBAM Rafah) (see EUROPE 13565/9).
“The release of hostages is good news. Palestinians are returning to northern Gaza. The ceasefire is fragile, but it is holding”, declared the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, at a press conference.
On Monday, the European ministers met in the wake of recent statements by US President Donald Trump, who two days earlier had suggested moving the inhabitants of Gaza to Egypt or Jordan in order to “clean out the whole thing” in the Palestinian enclave.
“It is important for Palestinians to be able to remain in the Palestinian territories and for Gaza to be rebuilt within its current boundaries”, Dutch foreign affairs minister Caspar Veldkamp told the press on Monday morning.
He added: “He often makes bold statements, which we always take seriously, but we shouldn’t always interpret them literally. The important thing is to know how the American support for this ceasefire, in conjunction with Qatar and Egypt, may continue”.
“There are no proposals. We will see when a concrete statement is made”, said Italian foreign affairs minister Antonio Tajani.
Lebanon. The ministers agreed to hold an EU-Lebanon Association Council this year. “The situation is favourable”, said Ms Kallas on Monday evening, pointing out that the EU had recently pledged to support the Lebanese Armed Forces to the tune of €60 million (see EUROPE 13562/27). (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)