26 EU states urge ‘pause’ in conflict
BRUSSELS — Twenty-six member states of the European Union called for an “immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a sustainable cease-fire” in the besieged Gaza Strip, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.
The countries warned Israel against launching an offensive in Rafah that they said would deepen the catastrophe of some 1.5 million refugees crammed into the city on the southern edge of Gaza.
“An attack on Rafah would be absolutely catastrophic … it would be unconscionable,” Ireland’s Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said before the meeting.
After the talks ended, the countries, in a joint statement, called for “an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a lasting ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance”.
The UN Security Council is expected to vote on a new draft resolution on Tuesday calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
Israel’s reported plans for an assault on the city have sounded international alarm bells, with many countries urging restraint or cancellation of the operation.
Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 29,000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The Brazilian government on Monday called its ambassador in Tel Aviv Frederico Meyer back to the country for consultations after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva voiced harsh criticism of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, in response to the fact that Israel summoned the diplomat for statements, the Brazilian foreign ministry confirmed.
In January, Brazil joined South Africa in bringing a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Call for lasting peace
Palestinian representatives on Monday asked judges at the court to declare Israel’s occupation of their territory illegal, saying their advisory opinion could contribute to a two-state solution and a lasting peace.
The requests came at the opening of a week of hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. More than 50 states will present arguments through Feb 26.
As the Gaza conflict flared up, tensions have increased in the region.
The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tensions after the conflict.
Israeli warplanes on Monday afternoon hit multiple targets in the southern town of Ghazieh with airto-surface missiles, injuring 14 people, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.
An opinion poll revealed that 90 percent of the Lebanese hold the United States accountable for Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Al-Akhbar local newspaper reported on Monday.