EU’s foreign policy chief, High Representative Josep Borrell, issued a statement on Tuesday evening on behalf of the EU in support of the three-phase roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of the hostages in the Israel-Hamas war, writes Mose Apelblat in The Brussels Times.
The roadmap was presented by US president Joe Biden in a speech last Friday and was immediately welcomed on X by the High Representative and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a genuine chance to end the conflict.
Last weekend Borrell was travelling to Singapore where he gave a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on security in the Asia-Pacific region without mentioning Biden’s speech on the roadmap. In the statement, the High Representative declares that the EU gives its “full support to the comprehensive roadmap” presented by President Biden and outlines the reasons for supporting it.
“Too many civilian lives have been lost. An enduring ceasefire is urgently needed, to ensure protection of civilians, the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages whose safety and well-being is of concern, and to increase the flow of much needed humanitarian relief to Gaza in view of the deepening humanitarian crisis”.
“Peace and stability in the Middle East are in the interest of both peoples, of the region as a whole, as well as globally.” While the EU is not directly involved in the on-going efforts to implement the roadmap, it urges both parties to accept and fulfil the three-phase proposal. It stands also ready to contribute to reviving a political peace process, based on the two-state solution.
The three-phase roadmap is reportedly identical to Israel’s own proposal for a hostage deal and the cessation of hostilities in Gaza. If implemented, it could also lead to a ceasefire and eventually a diplomatic solution in the north, where the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has escalated lately. The war there can easily spiral out of control with devastating effects for both Israel and Lebanon.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has declared that he accepts the roadmap, at least the first phase of it, without committing to a permanent ceasefire until Hamas’ military and government capabilities have been eliminated. However, he faces opposition from his far-right coalition partners that threaten to bring down the government. The coming days will be crucial.
The proposed roadmap is also very close to what Hamas wants and it has hinted that it is positive to it without yet replying formally that it accepts it. The main issue is ensuring that the ceasefire will be permanent and end the war. The roadmap tries to solve this in an innovative way by using formulations acceptable to both sides. The hostilities can hardly be resumed after an extended humanitarian ceasefire.
The first phase of the roadmap will last 6 weeks and will continue as long as it takes to agree on the following phases. By then Israel has already withdrawn its troops from populated areas in the Gaza Strip. It has already dealt a severe blow to Hamas, killed half or more of its operatives and destroyed 80 % of its military infrastructure according to military sources.
Hamas will not recover military after this, especially if the tunnels under the border with Egypt will be closed for any smuggling of weapons. The vacuum in Gaza will also have to be filled by a political alternative which can offer hope for a better future for the Palestinian people and ensure that the reconstruction of Gaza will get started as planned without the risk of a new war in the future.
In Israel, the government is under hard pressure by the public opinion, the political opposition and the families of the hostages to accept President Biden’s roadmap which is identical to its own proposal for a hostage deal, according to the President.
Hamas, divided between its desperate military wing hiding in the tunnels in Gaza and the political leadership abroad, is pressured by Egypt and Qatar to accept the roadmap to avoid more civilian suffering and enable the reconstruction of Gaza. President Biden has also urged other countries, including Belgium, to use their influence, if they have any, on Hamas.
For the time being, the EU is acting as a bystander, ready to play its part in implementing the roadmap. Peter Stano, EU’s lead spokesperson for foreign affairs, told The Brussels Times that all EU leaders have responded to Biden’s roadmap and that all EU’s efforts are focusing on moving the process forward to a sustainable solution. In that solution,” the day after”, there is no room for a terrorist organisation.
One role which the EU plans to play is to supervise the border crossing to Rafah by reactivating its special border assistance mission (EUBAM). The border crossing is still closed following Israel’s offensive in Rafah, limiting the amount of humanitarian aid that can be delivered into Gaza.
After the latest foreign affairs council, the EU agreed to begin preparations for the possible reactivation of EUBAM and this work is currently on-going but the final decision will be taken at next council meeting in Luxembourg on 24 June. The redeployment of the mission depends on the agreement of all EU member states and the partners involved (Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority).
The US has asked for an urgent meeting in the UN Security Council to express its support for the roadmap. While EU member states are represented in the Security Council (permanent member France and currently Slovenia and Malta), they are members in their national capacity and not on behalf of the EU but are expected to take into account the EU position.
Some EU member states have already expressed their support for the roadmap in another forum. In a G7 leaders’ statement on Monday, the leaders stated that they fully endorse and will stand behind the “comprehensive deal” outlined by President Biden. They also reaffirmed their support for a credible pathway towards peace leading to a two-state solution. The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.