United in the purpose of achieving relief for the population of Gaza, the Twenty-seven engaged in tough negotiations this Thursday night on how to facilitate humanitarian access to the strip without eroding Israel's response capacity, a red line for Germany, Austria and Czechia. The agreement came after six hours of discussions, in the form of a declaration that condemns Hamas terrorism, calls for the unconditional release of the hostages, supports Israel's right to defend itself within international law and – the most difficult thing to agree on – calls for promoting “all types of measures, including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs” to alleviate the “worrying” situation in Gaza.
The formula is more complicated than the first ones used, but diplomatic sources highlighted that it allows the EU to “position itself” in the conflict. “The letters, the commas, the words matter. “This is how agreements are reached,” say European diplomatic sources, asked about the semantic nature of the European debates in the face of a reality as brutal as the one currently experienced in the Palestinian territories.
“Our unity will be the best argument that we can use to talk to the Global South,” the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, had implored the Twenty-Seven at the beginning of the summit, held in the midst of a wave of criticism of the supposed “double standard.” with which the West judges the role of Hamas and Israel in the conflict, or the war in Ukraine.
Having ruled out the possibility of calling for a simple “ceasefire” or a “humanitarian ceasefire,” European leaders negotiated formulas similar to those being evoked these days in the United Nations to demand “continuous, rapid and uninterrupted access.” of humanitarian aid to Gaza, through initiatives such as decreeing “a pause”, “pauses” (in plural) or opening “windows” to deliver basic supplies to the strip, where according to the UN since the Israeli offensive began more have died. of 5,000 people, 62% women and children.
Spain, along with Ireland, among others, had defended stronger language but the acting President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, arrived in Brussels this Thursday open to compromise. “I would like to see a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes but if the conditions are not met, let us ask for at least a humanitarian pause to channel the arrival of all the aid that the Palestinian population urgently needs” but “it is also important to keep in mind “an international peace summit is on the horizon” that could be held within six months, he added.
Sánchez launched the initiative already at the summit held in Cairo this Saturday with the argument that it is necessary to "offer a horizon towards the two-state solution," Government sources explained with the argument. “This idea cannot be an empty shell,” “a specific perspective must be given from the international community to turn into something concrete the solution of two states that can coexist in peace and security.” The Spanish proposal had disappeared from the text that the European leaders personally negotiated this Thursday, but the Spanish delegation insisted on its objective that the EU endorse it and the final text includes the initiative.
“The EU is ready to contribute to reviving a political process based on the situation of the two states” and “supports the holding of an international peace conference,” reads the peace declaration, which does not commit to the objective of trying to launch it. within six months. The lack of attention dedicated to the conflict during the last ten years, the problems in agreeing on a clear position, as well as the problems of the EU in finding allies in the so-called Global South – a concept that brings together all developing countries – at its core. Ukraine's war vision has blown up in the faces of European leaders with the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The people of the Middle East, including Jordan, are shocked and disappointed by the world's reaction to the catastrophe that is occurring [in Gaza],” Queen Rania of Jordan lamented this week. “In recent weeks, we have seen the world's flagrant double standards,” said the sovereign of Palestinian origin, who thus gave voice to the criticism that has resonated beyond Western countries when comparing, for example, the accusations of crimes of war launched by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, against Russia and the refusal to classify as such some of the acts committed by Israel in Gaza.
“Some actors use these circumstances to try to get part of the international community to attack the EU and its partners, and to sow doubts about our credibility,” President Michel warned in an apparent allusion to Moscow and Beijing. The summit, however, also revealed that European unity regarding the war in Ukraine has some new cracks, with the arrival to power of the Slovak leader Robert Fico, similar to the pro-Russian theses of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, who He celebrated their meeting with a photo of both of them and the phrase “Back to the future”, since they had already coincided in power before.
Fico has already announced that it will discontinue Slovakia's military aid to Ukraine. Although the material impact is minimal, in Brussels he worries that Orbán will add an ally when it comes to blocking European decisions to support Kiyv. For now, Budapest maintains its refusal to authorize the latest disbursement of 500 million euros from the European Peace Support Fund, the instrument with which the EU finances the shipment of weapons to the Ukrainian Government. Your vote will also be needed to approve the €50 billion in macro-financial aid promised to Kyiv by 2024.
Orbán arrived in Brussels delighted with his role as enfant terrible a few days after meeting and shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It's a strategy, we are proud to do it,” he said of his gesture, with which he intends to keep the lines of communication with Moscow open and “help bring peace to Ukraine.” The presence of the Hungarian at the summit of the new Chinese Silk Road and his effusive greeting to Putin went down badly in the European capitals and it was not ruled out that on Thursday night some European leader would express his displeasure.
