(Brussels) Twenty-six countries out of the 27 in the EU called on Monday for an “immediate humanitarian pause” in Gaza, at a time when the Israeli army says it is preparing an offensive in the south of the Palestinian territory, said the head of the European diplomacy Josep Borrell.
This request, which Hungary has not taken up, means a “stopping of the fighting” in order to then allow a lasting ceasefire, explained Mr. Borrell during a press conference, at the resulting from a meeting of European Union foreign ministers.
The 26 countries said they were “very concerned” about the possibility of an offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, Mr. Borrell added. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic and could be “even worse” if Israel maintains its willingness to carry out this offensive, he said.
These 26 states are asking Israel not to launch military action in Rafah, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said on X.
Fighting continued Monday in the Gaza Strip where Israel is threatening to continue its offensive against Hamas during Ramadan if the hostages are not released by then, including in the Rafah region in the south, where there are massed nearly a million and a half Palestinian civilians.
Asked about Hungary’s refusal to join the request of the 26 other states, Mr. Borrell refused to comment, stressing however that if the EU intends to “play a role” in the region, it will not be able to do it only if it is “united”.
Europeans are very divided on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Some countries, including Hungary, emphasize Israel’s right to defend itself, while others, such as Spain and Ireland, are calling for an immediate ceasefire to put an end to the violence.
The human toll continues to rise in the besieged Palestinian territory, where 29,092 people have been killed since the start of the war, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, which counted 107 dead in 24 hours in dozens of strikes , particularly in Rafah and the neighboring town of Khan Younès.
The war was sparked by an unprecedented attack launched on October 7 by commandos from the Palestinian Islamist movement infiltrated into southern Israel. More than 1,160 people were killed during this attack, the majority civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas, and more than 29,000 people, the vast majority of them women and children, were killed in the Gaza Strip by its bombings and military operations, according to the Ministry of Security. Health of Hamas.