Israel cannot build peace “only by military means”, insisted the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell on Monday, insisting on “a two-state solution” before meeting the heads of Israeli and Palestinian diplomacy.
The European foreign ministers of the 27 receive on Monday, separately, the head of Israeli diplomacy Israel Katz and that of the Palestinian Authority Riyad al-Maliki.
“What we want is to build a two-state solution. Let’s talk about it,” Mr. Borrell told journalists in Brussels while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposition to “Palestinian sovereignty”. “What other solutions are they thinking of? “, asked Mr. Borrell. “Make all the Palestinians leave? Kill them ? “, he added.
The head of European diplomacy indicated that she had presented to the ministers of the 27 “a global approach” to move towards lasting peace. The latter will also meet, during a working lunch, their Egyptian counterparts Sameh Choukry, Saudi Faisal ben Farhane and Jordanian Ayman Safadi, as well as the secretary-general of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. So many countries and organizations that could play an important role – both economic and political – after the war.
EU countries are concerned about the number of civilian casualties since the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7, and have repeatedly called for humanitarian truces. But, very divided, they have so far failed to go beyond, and agree on a call for a ceasefire, to which certain countries, such as Germany, are opposed. , emphasizing Israel’s right to defend itself.
The war, which has devastated the Gaza Strip and displaced more than 80% of the population, was sparked by an October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,140 people, according to a count of AFP based on official figures. In retaliation, Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, which seized power in Gaza in 2007. According to Hamas’ health ministry, 25,105 people were killed in Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory.
This article is originally published on lorientlejour.com
