Just as she had done the day before in Egypt, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, called in Jerusalem on Monday 24 March for the resumption of peace negotiations in the Middle East. In retaliation for Hamas’s refusal to release more hostages, Israel resumed its strikes on the Gaza Strip last week.
“The resumption of negotiations is the only possible way of putting an end to the suffering on both sides”, she stressed, speaking alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, adding that violence was fuelling more violence. According to the High Representative, the resumption of fighting is causing “unbearable uncertainty” for the Israeli hostages and “horror and death” for the Palestinians.
According to Ms Kallas, “we must resume the ceasefire, ensure the release of all hostages and resume the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with the aim of a permanent ceasefire” (see EUROPE 13603/3), she stressed. Ms Kallas pointed out that the EU could help via its EUBAM Rafah Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point.
While stating that Israel had the right to self-defence, Kaja Kallas warned that military action must be proportionate. “Humanitarian law must be respected, people’s lives must be saved, humanitarian aid must reach the people, it cannot be politicised”, she had stressed the day before in Cairo.
For his part, the Israeli minister explained that his country respected international law. Citing Article 70 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which stipulates that humanitarian aid must be authorised if the civilian population is not adequately supplied, the Minister explained that the 25,000 lorries authorised by Israel during the ceasefire were sufficient to meet the needs of the Gazans. He added that, under Article 23 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, a party is not obliged to permit the entry of aid if it is diverted to the military or economic efforts of the enemy. “No country is obliged to facilitate a war against itself”, stressed Mr Sa’ar, pointing out that Israel should not be held to different standards. The minister specified that his government had not yet decided whether it would impose a military government in Gaza.
Support for the Gaza reconstruction plan. The High Representative reiterated the EU’s support for the Gaza reconstruction plan, while pointing out that questions remained to be answered in detail. “While it is difficult to talk about rebuilding Gaza while it is still being shelled (...), this plan provides a solid framework for reconstruction”, she stressed. But while the EU is ready to help and is preparing a financial plan to support the reconstruction of Gaza, “it is clear that more clarity is needed on issues such as cost-sharing, security arrangements and the future governance of Gaza”, said Kaja Kallas. With regard to governance, she reiterated that Hamas should no longer play a role in the future governance of the enclave.
In a joint statement issued on Sunday by the High Representative and the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, the parties emphasised that the plan guarantees that the Palestinians will remain in their territory, categorically rejecting any displacement or expulsion of the Palestinian people from their territory, from Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The High Representative also considered that the Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Syria risked provoking renewed escalation. “We think there is no point to these actions, because Syria is not attacking Israel at the moment and this is fuelling even greater radicalisation, including against Israel, which we don’t want to see”, she warned.
In addition, a high-level United Nations International Conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia will be held in June in New York to make progress in the political resolution of the conflict on the basis of the two-State solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions.
See the joint statement: https://aeur.eu/f/g3b (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)