The EU continues to channel humanitarian assistance to Gaza but the assistance remains too small to match the massive needs as the Israel – Hamas war enters its sixth week with no end in sight.
By last Friday, the EU had organized 14 air bridge flights in the past weeks with over 550 tonnes of emergency aid for the people of Gaza being transported to Egypt for deployment across the Rafah border crossing point. Of these, 6 humanitarian flights are scheduled for the coming days, departing from different EU countries.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has also been activated to offer support for repatriation flights from Egypt and Israel.
European Commission President von der Leyen said in her speech last Thursday at the international conference in Paris on humanitarian aid to Gaza that more than one entry point is needed.
“This is why we very much welcome and work very closely with President Nikos Christodoulides from Cyprus to establish a maritime corridor. I think that this would guarantee a sustained, regulated and robust flow of aid. The European Commission fully supports with all the logistics and possibilities that we have.”
The conference was initiated by President Macron, who announced that France’s total funding to Gaza will increase to €100 million this year. The Commission has quadrupled its humanitarian support for Gaza and the West Bank to up to the same amount, most of it to Gaza.
A Commission spokesperson told The Brussels Times that the Commission is continuously looking at broadening its range of aid instruments. “The maritime corridor is one of the ideas we are looking at in cooperation with Cyprus.” There are some logistical challenges such as finding a port in Gaza which is operational.
Israel says that the two crossing points to Gaza from its side of the border were damaged by Hamas during its surprise terrorist attack on 7 October.
Besides increasing the flow of humanitarian aid, the participants at the Paris conference also called for “humanitarian pauses” in the war to enable the aid to reach all in need. Israel says that it already has agreed to daily “tactical pauses” to allow for those civilians who have not yet moved to the south of the Gaza Strip for their own security or to look for basic supplies.
Still chance of hostage release
A cease-fire could also be conducive for talks on the release of the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas but at a press conference on Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that, “There will be no ceasefire without the return of our hostages”.
Hamas abducted 240 persons, including children, women and elderly, during its deadly raid. The international Red Cross has until now not been allowed to visit the hostages.
On Sunday evening, some cautious optimism was reported about a deal in the making for the release of women and children among the hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a temporary cease-fire and the supply of fuel to Hamas.
Most of the hostages are thought to be held in the tunnel network under Gaza city where Hamas has barricaded itself and stored ammunition and supplies for a war which could last for months unless it will surrender. Israel has declared that its war goal is to defeat Hamas and dismantle its military and governmental infrastructure.
Whether the war will last so long time is doubtful as Israel risks losing the international legitimacy for the war if it continues with increasing civilian casualties and destruction in the Gaza Strip. Israel puts the responsibility for the civilian casualties on Hamas as it is using civilians as human shields. Hamas leaders have openly transferred all responsibility for protecting innocent civilians to the United Nations and Israel.
According to President Macron thousands of civilians were “de facto” killed in Israeli bombings. Already reportedly 30 % or more of all buildings in the northern parts of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed and those who fled from there to the south will have nothing to return to.
Risk of escalation
It cannot still not be excluded that the current low-intensive war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon will escalate to a large-scale war with disastrous consequences for both countries. After two speeches, Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, gives the impression that he considers it to be Hamas’ war and he only supports them by diverting Israeli troops to the north.
But he continues to leave all options on the table. The situation can easily spiral out of control by mistakes and if more civilians are killed on both sides.
“Our war is not against the Palestinians in Gaza who also are suffering under Hamas rule,” says Haim Regev, Israel’s ambassador in Brussels to the EU and NATO. “Hamas leaders are still threatening us that they would repeat their murderous attack if they could.”
At Press Club Brussels Europe, a line-up of Arab ambassadors supported the Palestinian cause without condemning unambiguously the Hamas attack, nor demanding the unconditional release of the Israeli hostages.
“Right now, we still have international legitimacy,” the Israeli ambassador says. But he admits that no-one seems to know how long time it might take to dismantle and eliminate Hamas as a military and political force, if it at all is possible.
According to interviews with Hamas leaders outside Gaza, published by The New York Times last week, Hamas has no interest in running the Gaza Strip and caring for the needs of its population. The purpose of its attack was to wake up the Arab world and start a multi-front permanent war which would weaken Israel and its sense of security.
Both the EU, the US and the Arab world have called for a political perspective but the Israeli government has not yet announced any political plan for resuming the process after the war. In his speech on Saturday evening, the Israeli Prime Minister offered more of same failed policy and said that Israel will continue to have security control over the Gaza Strip for as long as necessary to prevent terrorism from it.
M. Apelblat
The Brussels Times
