STRASBOURG
- On Thursday, in a surprising twist of events, the
European Union (EU)
approved a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza for the first
time since October 7, 2023. The resolution also calls for the expedition to
deliver humanitarian aid to the Strip.
اضافة اعلان
During
a plenary session in Strasbourg, France, the EU member states approved a
non-binding, symbolic resolution by a vote of 312 to 131, with 72 members
abstaining, multiple media sources reported.
Prior
to this decision, the EU tiptoed around the idea of a permanent ceasefire;
their official line is "humanitarian pauses and corridors," a wording
that implies a temporary solution rather than the complete interruption of
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
Bruno Lété, the senior fellow at the
German Marshall Fund, said that, although purely
symbolic, calls from the EU and world leaders can have an effect.
"We
have seen... some EU leaders, leaders in the Arab
world, and even close allies of Israel, such as the US, calling on Israel to
show more restraint in its actions in Gaza," Lété explained.
Additionally,
EU officials confirmed that the EU will be providing financial support to the
Palestinian Authority (PA) after Israel heavily deducted Palestinian tax
revenues and $2.3 billion in losses since the beginning of the war on Gaza.
These
decisions are surprising given that the EU's stance on Israel's war on Gaza,
including that of some of its member states, has not always been in support of
Palestinians.
Shortly
after
October 7, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der
Leyen, posted on X that the EU “stands by Israel today and in the next weeks.”
Similarly,
the Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, argued that Austria needs to fully
support Israel as it protects Europe from terrorist attacks.
Germany
echoed such sentiments, as its government has refrained from calling for a
ceasefire in multiple UN meetings. It has also reiterated that Israel’s war on
Gaza is considered “staatsraison” or “reason of state.” Additionally, the
German government recently decided to support Israel in South Africa’s lawsuit
against Israel at the
International Court of Justice (ICJ), charging the
occupation with
genocidal crimes.
Despite
the extensive massacres, genocide, and destruction in Gaza, the EU, which
represents the 27 member states, has not yet unanimously agreed to call for a
ceasefire, despite pleas from countries such as Belgium, Ireland, and Spain.
24,448
Palestinians have been killed and 61,504 injured due to the Israeli aggression
in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the Gazan Ministry of Health. 70
percent of the victims are women and children.
EU’s conditions for a ceasefire
While
the passed resolution represents a dramatic shift in the EU's stance on the war
on Gaza, the decision did not come without conditions.
The
permanent ceasefire resolution was only approved after conservative legislators
introduced an amendment insisting that Hamas be dismantled before a ceasefire
could be declared and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all
remaining hostages.
"Sustainable
peace cannot exist as long as Hamas and other groups hijack the Palestinian
cause and threaten the existence of Israel, the only democracy in the
region," said Antonio López-Istúriz, a member of the European Parliament.
This
came after Egypt recently presented a draft proposing that Hamas relinquish
power in exchange for a permanent
ceasefire in Gaza.
However,
Hamas rejected this proposal, according to Egyptian security sources, noting
that officials from the movement publicly denied the matter.
The EU’s promise to support the Palestinian
economy
On
Thursday, EU officials met with the Palestinian minister of finance, Shukri
Bishara, and the governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA), Feras
Melhem, to discuss the impact of the ongoing war in Gaza on the Palestinian
economy.
According
to the
Palestinian Ministry of Economy, the economy has suffered US$2.3 billion
in losses since the beginning of the war on Gaza. The World Bank also recently
warned that it expects the West Bank and Gaza economies to contract by 3.7
percent because of the war.
Israeli
deductions of Palestinian tax revenues, which violate existing agreements and
risk leading to the collapse of the PA, have compounded the financial problems
facing the Palestinian economy.
Clearance
revenues, which are import taxes that Israel collects on behalf of the PA, have
evolved into a tool for political blackmail by succeeding Israeli governments.
The PA relies heavily on the tax funds that Israel collects on its behalf to
pay salaries and deliver public services. These revenues account for roughly 65
percent of the PA's budget.
'The EU
is working with international partners to address this issue and find immediate
solutions', EU officials said in a statement. “The EU and the European
Investment Bank will continue to support the PMA's role in ensuring a resilient
banking sector and providing crucial financing to businesses during these
challenging times.”
This
might prove difficult, however, since recently the US failed to persuade Israel
to release the tax returns to the PA.
Russia’s stance
In a
press conference in Moscow on Thursday, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign
Minister, confirmed that Moscow will participate in the Security Council
session next Monday and will present its proposals to resume collective work to
solve the Palestinian issue and steer clear of any attempts to monopolize
settlement efforts.
“Imposing
plans on the Palestinians in the US administration offices will not succeed.
The solution will only be achieved through the international quartet and the
Arab League, but the US and Europe are obstructing that,” he said.
Lavrov
added, “US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated that the US alone is
capable of playing the role of mediator between the Palestinians and Israelis,
and we know about these semi-secret contacts with some Arab countries. However,
these contacts do not mean launching a direct dialogue between the Palestinians
and Israelis.”
“Without
a final solution to the Palestinian issue, the Palestinian people will remain
under injustice, and it is necessary to establish the Palestinian state to end
this conflict... I hope that the Israeli leadership will reach such a
conclusion,” he stated.
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