On Tuesday 18 March, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, together with the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, deplored the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza and the deaths of more than 400 people – according to Hamas – in Israeli air strikes.
“The EU calls on Israel to end its military operations and reiterates its call on Hamas to release all the hostages immediately”, the EU representatives stressed in a joint statement, urging Israel to show restraint. They also called on all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and on Israel to resume unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid and electricity to Gaza.
On X, the President of the European Council, António Costa, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the news. “[The] violence must stop and the terms of the ceasefire agreement must be respected”, he pleaded.
According to the High Representative and the European Commissioners, the only forward is for negotiations to resume. “Palestinians and Israelis have suffered immensely over the past year and a half. It is time to break the cycle of violence”, said Ms Kallas, Ms Šuica and Ms Lahbib.
Following the events, the Rafah Crossing Point is closed until further notice and the EUBAM Rafah mission is no longer deploying personnel there. Over the last six weeks, the mission has enabled more than 4,000 people to leave the Gaza Strip. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)