The European Union urges Israel to “immediately cease” its military operation in Rafah

The European Union urged Israel, Wednesday May 15, to “stop immediately” its military operation in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, under penalty of “put to the test” his relationship with the Twenty-Seven. Tens of thousands of civilians continue to flee the city of Rafah, shelled by Israel and threatened with a major ground offensive. The EU also calls on Israel to “refrain from further aggravating the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza” and to “reopen” the Rafah crossing point, writes the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, in a press release.

More than a million civilian refugees in Rafah have been ordered to evacuate to areas that the United Nations does not consider to be “safe”, further denounces the European Union, the main donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The Israeli army entered Rafah with tanks on May 7. Since then, the border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has remained closed even though it is crucial for convoys transporting aid to a population threatened with famine in Gaza.