On Monday 5 May, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service, Anouar El Anouni, underscored the EU’s concern about the new Israeli plan to “conquer” the Gaza Strip. According to an official source quoted by AFP, the plan provides for the Jewish State to maintain its control over the Palestinian enclave and to support a project organising the “voluntary departure” of its inhabitants.
“The European Union is concerned at the planned extension of the operation by Israeli forces in Gaza, which will result in further casualties and suffering for the Palestinian population. We urge Israel to exercise the utmost restraint”, Mr El Anouni told the media. He reiterated that the only way forward was to resume negotiations, adding that a return to the ceasefire was essential.
“EU leaders must be clear that they oppose this plan and that any moves to implement it will be met with severe political and economic sanctions”, warned the Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Palestine, Lynn Boylan (The Left, Irish), in a statement.
For her part, Greens/EFA Co-President, Terry Reintke (German), described Israel’s decision to “seize” the Gaza Strip as a “further escalation”. “A full scale seizure of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces would be devastating and a violation of international law”, added Bas Eickhout, the other Co-President of the Greens/EFA group (Dutch).
The Greens/EFA group’s request for a debate on the ‘Israeli government’s plan to seize the Gaza Strip and promote the so-called voluntary departure of Gazans’ was not adopted at the opening of the plenary session. The EPP group proposed that the debate be held during the mini-session on 21 and 22 May, in order to obtain more detailed information.
Humanitarian situation. On Monday, the European Commission also reiterated its call for the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip to be lifted, so that the necessary aid can be delivered to the suffering Palestinian civilians. No aid trucks have been able to enter the enclave since 2 March, despite repeated condemnations of this situation by the EU and international humanitarian organisations.
“What will you do if nobody listens to you?” a journalist asked Anouar El Anouni on Monday. “Our position is very clear and we will reiterate it as often as necessary”, replied the EEAS, without announcing any other measures planned to force Israel to take urgent humanitarian action.
With the health system in ruins, access to drinking water virtually non-existent and almost 65,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition, Israel proposed on Monday a system of aid distribution organised by private companies. The plan was rejected by the United Nations and NGOs as contrary to humanitarian principles and likely to lead to the forced displacement of the civilian population. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit and Camille-Cerise Gessant)