2024-03-21 22:07:37
The leaders of the 27 European Union countries, meeting at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, called for an “immediate humanitarian truce” in Gaza, and in a joint statement they urged Israel not to launch a ground operation in Rafah, in the far south of the devastated Strip.
The statement stated, “The European Council calls for an immediate humanitarian truce that should lead to a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance.” They also asked Israel “not to carry out a ground operation in Rafah,” where hundreds of thousands of Gazans were displaced.
The European leaders noted that more than a million Palestinians “are currently searching for safety from the fighting and access to humanitarian aid there.”
The European Union is struggling to formulate a unified response to the military operation launched by Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7.
There have been increasing warnings of the risk of famine in Gaza, and leaders have called for “full, rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to” Gaza.
The leaders expressed their “deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and its disproportionate impact on civilians, especially children, as well as the imminent risk of famine resulting from not enough aid entering Gaza.”
The United States also submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for a vote on a resolution for an “immediate and sustainable” ceasefire in Gaza. It also included a call to facilitate the transit of aid and the release of hostages in Gaza, in addition to emphasizing the importance of the two-state solution. It is expected to be presented to a vote on Friday.
Provisions of the American draft resolution for an “immediate and sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza
The United States submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for a vote on a resolution for an “immediate and sustainable” ceasefire in Gaza, and it also included a call to facilitate the transit of aid and the release of hostages in Gaza, in addition to stressing the importance of the two-state solution.
The war broke out on October 7 following an attack by Hamas on southern Israel that killed at least 1,160 people, most of them civilians, according to a tally prepared by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli figures.
Israel estimates that about 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza, including 33 believed dead, out of about 250 people kidnapped in the Hamas attack.
Israel vowed to eliminate the movement and carried out a massive bombing campaign followed by a massive ground attack, killing about 32,000 people and leaving 74,188 wounded, the majority of whom were women and children, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
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