On Monday 14 April, almost 18 months after the Hamas terrorist attack, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stressed that Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip exceeded the principle of proportionality of the right to self-defence under international law.
“The aid we are giving to Gaza and Palestinians should not be politicised, it has to reach the people that are in need. Israel has the right to defend itself, but its current actions go beyond proportionate self defence”, declared Ms Kallas at the end of a meeting with the 27 European foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg.
No humanitarian convoy has been able to enter the enclave since the beginning of March, exacerbating the health crisis and the suffering of civilians, who have fallen victim to new bombardments since the ceasefire broke down.
The German minister, Annalena Baerbock, and the French minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, both insisted on the need to “return to the ceasefire” in order to free the hostages held by Hamas and bring relief to almost two million Palestinians.
“It’s now over a month since food supplies have been able to access Gaza, and this is making a horrific humanitarian catastrophe even more difficult than the suffering of the misery, pain and death for civilians”, said Irish Minister Simon Harris.
“The Israeli government’s recent actions, causing the death of over 1,000 civilians and at least 15 humanitarian workers in the last weeks, must be collectively condemned”, said Belgian Minister Maxime Prévot. And he went on to add: “We also remain concerned that hostages are still being held in captivity”.
In a joint statement published on Saturday 12 April, the high representative of the Union and the European commissioners for equality and for the Mediterranean, Hadja Lahbib and Dubravka Šuica, urged the Jewish state to allow aid to flow on a large scale into and through the Palestinian enclave.
UNWRA. On the sidelines of the EU Council, the European Commission announced a major multiannual support programme to promote Palestinian recovery and resilience (see EUROPE 13621/1). €82 million could be allocated each year to fund services for Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). (Bernard Denuit with Camille-Cerise Gessant)