The purpose of Monday’s closed-door meeting between EU foreign ministers and their Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, in Brussels was to examine Israel’s adherence to its human rights commitments under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
However, efforts to re-examine the agreement, led by Spain and Ireland, had diminished and were “more or less off the table” due to lengthy negotiations among EU capitals to reach a consensus before the conference, according to one diplomatic source. Co-chaired by EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas, the meeting took place as Gaza maintains a precarious ceasefire as the EU looks to position itself to help rebuild and restore administration in the enclave.
We are keeping a careful eye on events and are unable to conceal our worries about the West Bank,” she continued. Following a military operation that has forced thousands of people to flee their homes, Israel announced over the weekend that it would continue to station its troops in refugee camps in the northern West Bank.
The EU’s Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, stated that the bloc is prepared to assist Gaza’s rehabilitation and efforts in influencing the enclave’s future administration, adding that “our political and economic ties remain strong even as we navigate a challenging period.
Israel has “proven itself a stable and stong force” in a region riven by strife, according to the Israeli foreign minister, who also urged that Israel-Palestinian relations not be “held hostage to Israel-EU relations.
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