EU Member states are still divided on the response the bloc should have regarding the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
The division was again clear at an informal meeting of the 27 EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels on Saturday. ‘’We discussed about the absolute urgency to avoid regional escalation and about the importance of finally liberating the hostages unconditionally, as we always do,’’ EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said at a press conference following the meeting.
He noted that the discussion on the Middle East, the main topic of discusssion, was “very lively”, with positions differing so widely. “We have a minimum agreement among member states, everybody agrees on the need for humanitarian pauses, and increased humanitarian support to the people affected by the war.’’
“But when comes the moment to vote in the United Nations, some people ask for a ceasefire, an immediate and permanent ceasefire; some states ask for it. Others vote against it, and others abstain,” he said.
The divisions were already clear earlier this week when EU leaders who met in Brussels last Thursday didn’t issue a statement on the Middle East.
“So, it is very difficult (for the EU) to play an important role if you have – inside the club – such different positions,” Borrell said. ‘’In general terms, the position of the European Union and Member States is to put pressure on Israel to obey to international law. Because one thing is to say that international law has to be respected and another thing is that international law is effectively respected. And on that also, there are different approaches,’’ Borrell said.
‘’In our discussion, it has been clear that some Member States consider that an immediate ceasefire is necessary, others still do not see this necessity, because they consider that Israel has to continue fighting against Hamas. And the discussion has been – as the minister has said – approaching to a position closer to ask for a cessation of hostilities.
Spain, Belgium, Malta, Ireland especially have been calling for a ceasefire.
For Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country currently chairs the EU Council of Ministers, member states with “extreme positions are moving closer to the center” in terms of their humanitarian duty to the people of Gaza, respect for international law, the need for a ceasefire to deliver humanitarian aid, respect for the population, and a return to the path of political negotiation towards a two-state solution.
Also regarding the role of UNWRA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the member states showed differences especially after recent evidence that several of its staff members took part in the October 7 atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel.
Borrell said the majority of EU Foreign Ministers at the meeting believe that UNRWA’s work is vital. While some countries have frozen their support, he said that some have informed him that their governments would step up funding.
“UNRWA has been playing a critical role to support the Palestinian refugees, and not only in Gaza” but also in Lebanon and Jordan, Borrell said. “Who can substitute that overnight?”
He welcomed the investigation launched by the agency and the EU’s own audit.
He said he will invite the head of UNWRA, Philippe Lazzarini, to the next Foreign Affairs Council on February 19.
But he also emphasized that the European Commission ‘’has not suspended its funding’’ to UNWRA. He said there were a lot of ‘’fake news, a lot of misinformation.’’ ‘’Germany has not suspended, France has not suspended, Spain has not suspended their funding. Some Member States have suspended, but very few have clearly suspended their funding]. Others have been taking just precautionary measures “waiting for”, but not stopping payments.’’
‘’The European] Commission has not stopped payments, among other things because the next payment is due at the end of the month. So, you cannot suspend something that is not moving. Let’s see, from now until the end of the month where we are,’’ Borrell added.
‘’Certainly, we will ask for reviews, we will ask for controls, about the lack of accountability, but I can say that for the majority of Member States, the general feeling, is that there is no substitute for UNRWA. I repeat: there is no substitute for UNRWA,’’ he stated.
At the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, the ministers are also expected to launch the European Union’s Red Sea mission to protect merchant ships from attacks by the Yemeni rebel group, an Iran proxy.
As for the US strikes in Syria and Iraq on Friday night, following the death of three U.S. soldiers, Josep Borrell called for no escalation.
“We can only call on everyone to understand that at any moment in this series of attacks and reprisals, a spark can provoke a more serious incident”. While the US strikes were “expected, and even announced”, “each attack contributes to the escalation, and the ministers have expressed their deep concern”, he added.
Borrell warned that the Israel-Hamas war has created “a domino effect,” with conflict also erupting in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and in the Red Sea area.
“We are living a critical situation in the Middle East, in the whole region,” he said. “As long as the war in Gaza continues, it is very difficult to believe that the situation in the Red Sea will improve, because one thing is related with the other.”
Regarding reports that the United States is considering the possibility of recognition of a Palestinian state, Borrell said that ‘’if this is the case, the European Union cannot recognise anyone because we do not have this capacity, it is the Member States who recognise. And I know that some Member States are thinking about it, but I cannot talk on their behalf.’’