BRUSSELS: European Union leaders are seeking a more active role in Gaza and the occupied West Bank after being sidelined from the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
At a summit Thursday in Brussels largely focused on Ukraine and Russia, EU heads of state discussed the shaky ceasefire in Gaza and pledged EU support for stability in the war-torn coastal enclave. The EU has been the biggest provider of aid to the Palestinians and is Israel’s top trading partner.
“It is important that Europe not only watches but plays an active role,” said Luc Frieden, the prime minister of Luxembourg, as he headed into the meeting. “Gaza is not over; peace is not yet permanent,” he said.
Outrage over the war in Gaza has riven the 27-nation bloc and pushed relations between Israel and the EU to a historic low.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in September plans to seek sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel, aimed to pressure it to reach a peace deal in Gaza.
Momentum driving the measures seemed to falter with the ceasefire deal mediated by US President Donald Trump, with some European leaders calling for them to be scrapped.
But leaders from Ireland to the Netherlands say that with violence continuing to flare up in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, keeping on the table sanctions of Israeli cabinet ministers and settlements and the partial suspension of a trade deal gives the EU leverage on Israel to curtail military action.
In the run-up to the ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this month that “Europe has essentially become irrelevant and displayed enormous weakness.”
The ceasefire deal came about with no visible input from the EU, and European leaders have since scrambled to join the diplomacy effort currently reshaping Gaza.
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has said the EU should play a role in Gaza and not just pay to support stability and eventually reconstruction.
The EU has provided key support for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank.
At the summit’s conclusion, EU leaders issued a pledge to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, potentially via a maritime route from Cyprus. They also suggested that a West Bank police support program could be extended to Gaza to bolster the stabilization force called for in the current 20-point ceasefire plan.
The EU has sought membership in the plan’s “Board of Peace” transitional oversight body, Dubravka Šuica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, said this week.
At least two EU countries, Denmark and Germany, are participating in the new US-led stabilization effort overseeing and implementing the Gaza ceasefire. Flags of those two nations have been raised at the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel.
The European Border Assistance Mission in Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border, began in 2005. In January, it deployed 20 security border police experts from Italy, Spain and France.
During the February-March ceasefire, the mission helped 4,176 individuals leave the Gaza Strip, including 1,683 medical patients. Those efforts were paused when fighting resumed. Outside of the EU, individual nations have acted to pressure Israel on their own as protests have rocked cities from Barcelona to Oslo. Many have recognized a Palestinian state. Spain has ratcheted up its opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the war a “genocide” when he announced in September plans to formalize an arms embargo and block Israel-bound fuel deliveries from passing through Spanish ports. In August, Slovenia issued an arms embargo in what it said was a first for a EU member country.
Some national broadcasters have sought to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest. Member broadcasters will vote in November on whether Israel can participate in the musical extravaganza next year, as calls have mounted for the country to be excluded over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
EU leaders seek more active role in Gaza
https://arab.news/834jm
EU leaders seek more active role in Gaza
- Outrage over the war in Gaza has riven the 27-nation bloc and pushed relations between Israel and the EU to a historic low
- Israeli PM Netanyahu said earlier this month that “Europe has essentially become irrelevant and displayed enormous weakness”
- The EU has been the biggest provider of aid to the Palestinians and is Israel’s top trading partner
Oman and Lebanon call for full Israeli withdrawal, urge end to attacks
- Joseph Aoun and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq make a joint call for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory
- Reaffirmation of the unified Arab position on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his Omani counterpart Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Wednesday made a joint call for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory and a full withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands, warning that continued violations pose a direct threat to regional stability.
The statement came during a high-level summit in Muscat, where both leaders voiced “serious concern over the ongoing Israeli aggression” and described the occupation as a “clear violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and other international resolutions.
The two sides also expressed support for international efforts to de-escalate tensions, stabilize the situation on the ground, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and advance post-conflict reconstruction.
Aoun led a Lebanese ministerial delegation to Oman that included Lebanon’s ministers of foreign affairs, interior, defense, health, and agriculture for talks with Omani officials.
The joint statement emphasized the strengthening of bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in key sectors including politics, the economy, investment, banking, tourism, transport, and logistics.
Both sides called for early preparations to hold the first session of the Omani-Lebanese Joint Committee, chaired by the two foreign ministers in Muscat, and to pursue new agreements and memorandums of understanding intended to enhance collaboration in trade, culture, and science. The statement also highlighted the need to boost private sector engagement in shared development opportunities.
The Omani side reaffirmed its full support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as for strengthening Lebanese state institutions, particularly the army and legitimate security forces, and backing the country’s ongoing economic, financial, and administrative reforms.
The two sides reaffirmed the unified Arab position on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. They also underscored the importance of strengthening Arab solidarity, respecting the sovereignty of states, and upholding the principles of good neighborliness and international law.
Aoun’s official visit to Oman took place within the context of Muscat’s established role as a regional and international mediator. During his meetings, Aoun praised Oman’s diplomatic standing and approach, describing it as “wise and responsible.”
He commended Oman’s foreign policy, grounded in dialogue, mediation, balance, and good neighborliness, saying it had earned the sultanate a “distinguished status and a pivotal role in promoting stability and resolving conflicts through peaceful means.”
Aoun said that, in Lebanon, “we hold this wise approach in high regard and deeply value the sultanate’s steadfast support for Lebanon in various international forums, as well as its support as we confront the challenges before us.”
For his part, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq reaffirmed Oman’s continued commitment to Lebanon’s stability and its close monitoring of the latest developments in the country.
He emphasized the deep-rooted relations between the two countries and the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation and coordination. The sultan also praised the positive contributions of the Lebanese community in Oman.
On the sidelines of the visit, Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar held a meeting with his Omani counterpart Hamoud bin Faisal Al-Busaidi at Al-Alam Palace in Muscat. They underlined the enhancement of joint cooperation, particularly in security and policing.
According to a joint statement, the discussions also covered Lebanon’s efforts to consolidate internal security and maintain stability.
Participating on the Omani side in the expanded talks were Al-Busaidi; Shihab bin Tarik Al-Said, deputy prime minister for defense affairs; Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, foreign minister of Oman; Hamad bin Said Al-Aufi, head of the private office; Mahad bin Said Ba’owain, minister of labor and head of the honorary mission; Saud bin Hamoud Al-Habsi, minister of agricultural, fisheries and water resources; and Hilal bin Ali Al-Sabti, minister of health.
