As famine looms, EU leaders call for eventual ceasefire in Gaza for first time
In a breakthrough, EU leaders called on Thursday (21 March) for an “immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza and urged Israel not to launch a major ground offensive in the southernmost city of Rafah.
“The European Council calls for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire,” the bloc’s leaders said after meeting in Brussels.
The upgrade in language comes after Hungary, for the first time, was able to subscribe to the statement.
EU member states such as Belgium, Ireland, and Spain have called for a ceasefire since October.
However, staunch Israel supporters such as the Czech Republic and Hungary had previously blocked such a call, for fear it would undermine the bloc’s support for Israel’s right to self-defence.
In February, all EU foreign ministers – except Hungary’s – endorsed a call for an eventual ceasefire in the besieged Gaza strip.
On Thursday, EU leaders “urged the Israeli government not to undertake a ground operation in Rafah, which would worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation and prevent the urgently needed provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance.”
They further pointed out that more than one million Palestinians are “currently seeking safety from the fighting and access to humanitarian assistance there.”
Following the attack on 7 October by Hamas, the EU has struggled for a united response to Israel’s military operation.
The United Nations and humanitarian organisations have been warning of the risk of famine, with EU leaders calling for “full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access into” Gaza.
EU leaders said they were “deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and its disproportionate effect on civilians, particularly children, as well as the imminent risk of famine caused by the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza.”