EU Leaders Seek Active Role in Gaza Ceasefire Amid Tensions

Brussels, Oct 23 (AP) European Union leaders are aiming to take a more proactive stance in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, after finding themselves sidelined from the ceasefire brokered by the United States between Israel and Hamas.

During a summit on Thursday in Brussels, which will primarily address the situation in Ukraine and Russia, the EU heads of state are also expected to deliberate on the fragile ceasefire in Gaza and the EU's potential support for fostering stability in the war-torn coastal region. The EU has long been the largest donor of aid to the Palestinians and stands as Israel's leading trading partner.

“It is essential that Europe goes beyond observation and plays an active role," stated Luc Frieden, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, upon arriving at the meeting. “The situation in Gaza is not resolved; peace remains elusive,” he emphasized.

The conflict in Gaza has caused significant divisions within the 27-nation bloc and has led to a historic low in Israel-EU relations.

In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced initiatives to pursue sanctions and a partial trade boycott against Israel, aiming to encourage it towards peace discussions in Gaza.

Although the momentum for these actions seemed to wane following the US-mediated ceasefire led by President Donald Trump, several European advocates believe they should remain under consideration as violence sporadically erupts in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Prior to the ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked that “Europe has essentially become irrelevant and has shown considerable weakness." The agreement reached was without any noticeable involvement from the EU, prompting European leaders to quickly attempt to integrate into the diplomatic processes currently redefining Gaza.

The EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has asserted that the EU should actively participate in Gaza, beyond merely funding stability and future reconstruction.

The EU has been instrumental in supporting the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank, has promised to inundate Gaza with humanitarian aid, and suggested it might extend a West Bank police support initiative to Gaza to reinforce a stabilization force as outlined in the 20-point ceasefire plan.

Furthermore, the EU has expressed interest in joining the “Board of Peace” transitional oversight body within the plan, as stated by Dubravka Suica, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, this week.

Established in 2005, the European Border Assistance Mission in Rafah, located on the Gaza-Egypt border, sent 20 security border police experts from Italy, Spain, and France in January.

During the February-March ceasefire, the mission facilitated the exit of 4,176 individuals from the Gaza Strip, including 1,683 medical patients. These operations were halted when hostilities resumed. (AP) SKS SKS

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