PORTOROZ, Slovenia: Leaders from nine EU countries around the Mediterranean Sea on Monday said they “fully” expected Israel to open border crossings into Gaza for the “immediate release” of humanitarian aid following a ceasefire.
Countries of the so-called MED9 group — Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain — met on Monday in the Slovenian coastal town of Portoroz to discuss issues affecting their region.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen were also at the meeting.
The group called for “the immediate release of all the humanitarian aid to flow to Gaza,” Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob told a joint press conference after the meeting.
“There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to block such humanitarian aid,” he said, adding that the countries “fully expect” Israel to open border crossings to allow the aid in.
The reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt remains on hold despite calls from the UN and aid groups.
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that a ceasefire in Gaza was still holding after Israel carried out deadly strikes on the territory over alleged truce violations by Hamas.
The ceasefire, which began on Oct. 10, halted more than two years of devastating war between Israel and Hamas.
Golob said the MED9 group also wanted to make sure the ceasefire agreement is “fully respected,” including by finding a way to put reporters on the ground.
