Josep Borrell, the High Representative for EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced after the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday that he plans to travel to Israel, Palestine, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan this week.
According to his press remarks after the meeting, he wants to contribute to “the political dynamic” in the region. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war deepens the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. There is also an urgent need to engage with all regional partners in avoiding the escalation of the war and to discuss a political post-conflict solution.
In his remarks, mostly given in Spanish, Borrell reiterated the main points in the EU’s common position, which had been updated on Sunday after contacts with all 27 EU member states. What was new, according to Borrell, was the call for "immediate" humanitarian pauses in the war. He also welcomed the results of the conference on humanitarian aid held in Paris last week.
The statement also says that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) must be granted access to the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. It reiterated the EU’s condemnation of the use of hospitals and civilians as human shields by Hamas and emphasized that hospitals, medical supplies and civilians inside hospitals must be protected. Civilians must be allowed to leave the combat zone.
Israel says that it maintains a humanitarian corridor for the safe passage of Gaza residents to the south of the Gaza Strip, opens safe passages for the evacuation of the hospitals in Gaza, and enables the transfer of humanitarian aid to the south of the Gaza Strip.
But that is not enough judging by Borrell’s press remarks. “We are talking about the order of 40 trucks a day on average, from the Rafah crossing, which is very little compared to the up to 500 trucks a day that passed before the war,” he said. “The United Nations has warned of the lack of food that represents less than 10% of what is needed.”
“The Rafah crossing is clearly not sufficient to allow the necessary number of trucks to pass through,” he added. “Traffic capacity must be increased. And that can be done either by opening more land posts - those that exist are closed - or by developing the Cypriot initiative to create a maritime corridor.” The Israeli government has reportedly rejected calls to open border crossings from its side of the border.
Who will govern Gaza
As regards the political horizon, Borrell stressed the need not only to rebuild Gaza – which already has been done a few times after previous rounds of hostilities – but to establish a Palestinian state composed of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in line with the two-state vision.
To start with, a reinforced Palestinian Authority should replace Hamas and return to Gaza once the war is over and the security situation there is safe. He reiterated the “red lines” or parameters for the solution the “day after” that recently were outlined by European Commission President von der Leyen.
The framework for a political solution
- There cannot be a forced displacement of the Palestinian people out of Gaza
- There can be no reoccupation of Gaza by Israel and no return of Hamas to Gaza.
- Gaza cannot be dissociated from the overall Palestinian issue
- The Palestinian Authority must return to Gaza
- This authority will have to be strongly supported
- Arab countries must be strongly involved in the solution
The points will be further discussed between the EU and its partners during Borrell’s visit to the region, explained Peter Stano, EU lead spokesperson for foreign affairs. “Gaza needs to be governed properly by a legitimate authority. It cannot be governed by Hamas as was the case until now.”
“Hamas is a terrorist organisation and we have all seen the misery and tragedy it has brought on Gaza,” he added.
Political horizon
As regards the last point, Borrell asserted that, ”The Arab states tell us that they do not want to talk about the ‘day after’, because they are focused on the ‘today’, on the drama that is being experienced today. But there will be no solution without a strong commitment from the Arab States that cannot be simply financial.”
There are differences between the Arab countries - some of them have made peace with Israel, others not. The joint statement at the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh last Saturday dealt mainly with the need for a cease-fire.
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The statement did not mention Hamas’ terrorist attack but it did reaffirm peace as a strategic option and called for the start of a credible peace process as soon as possible based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and the principle of land for peace.
Other EU leaders have already visited Israel after Hamas’ surprise terrorist attack on 7 October. This will be Borrell’s first visit to Israel since he assumed office in 2019. His travel schedule is still tentative. A source in the Commission told The Brussels Times that his regional journey will start in Israel on Thursday morning.
It will include a visit to one of the Israeli villages near the border with the Gaza Strip that was the target of Hamas’ massacre of civilians. He also plans to meet families of the hostages taken by Hamas, and Israeli and Palestinian civil society organisations.
Update: For High Representative Josep Borrell’s full travel itinerary in the region from 16 to 20 November, click here.
M.Apelblat
The Brussels Times
