The European Union called for an immediate halt to the Israeli war on Gaza, and the opening of corridors that would allow the flow of humanitarian aid to the besieged Strip, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced his country’s rejection of a ceasefire, despite the many voices around the world that rose to demand an end to the Israeli massacres that have been continuing in the Strip for 38 days. .
The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, expressed the Union's deep concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a statement yesterday, Sunday, Borrell called for the establishment of safe corridors that allow the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip continuously, quickly, safely and without obstacles, and recalled that international humanitarian law stipulates that hospitals, medical supplies, and civilians inside hospitals must be protected.
“The European Union calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, an increase in the capacity of border crossings in a way that enables humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza safely, and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including a special sea corridor,” the statement said.
The European Union statement stressed the need to provide hospitals in Gaza with urgent medical supplies immediately, and to safely evacuate patients who need urgent medical care.
The European Union urged Israel to "exercise maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians."
German refusal
The statements of many European officials reflect the fluctuation of official European positions regarding the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which led to the fall of more than 11,000 martyrs, most of whom were children and women, the injury of more than 28,000 Palestinians, and the destruction of half of the buildings in the Strip.
Despite the European Union's call to stop the war immediately, the German Chancellor announced - yesterday, Sunday - his rejection of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and also his rejection of a long truce, on the grounds that this might enable the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to possess new missiles to target Israel, according to His expression.
Schultz believed that it was possible to reach an agreement stipulating temporary “humanitarian truces” instead, despite the many official and popular voices around the world demanding an immediate end to the Israeli massacres in Gaza, and the occupation’s targeting of hospitals and continuous bombing of civilians in Gaza.
Schulz said - during an intervention at an event organized by a German newspaper - that a humanitarian truce might make sense, for example, to remove the wounded from the Gaza Strip.
He added, "But I am happy to admit that I do not think that the proposal that some are calling for an immediate ceasefire or a long truce - which is the same thing - is correct."
France calls for an end to the war
For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron called - last Friday - for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and also urged Israel to avoid targeting civilians.
Macron said that there is no justification for the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, and that a ceasefire will benefit Israel.
He stressed that his country condemns "the terrorist acts carried out by Hamas," as he put it, and added, "But despite our recognition of Israel's right to protect itself, we urge it to stop this bombing" in Gaza.
In the context of the French position on the Israeli aggression against Gaza that has been ongoing for 38 days, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Le Cornu - yesterday, Sunday - called on Israel to take measures to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Locorno said - in an interview with the LCE News channel - that "Israel is a democratic state and what it does affects us."
He stressed that the humanitarian situation and the protection of Palestinian civilians in Gaza are “a very essential matter” that requires measures by Israel.
He also warned that Israel's actions during the war would have an impact on "the security environment that will prevail in the Middle East during the next 10 or 15 years."
