Today's Edition
BRUSSELS (WAM)
The whole Middle East is on the verge of a complete conflagration that the international community looks unable to control, according to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
"The people in the region are more insecure than ever and are caught in an unending cycle of violence, hatred, and revenge," Josep Borrell said in a statement on Monday.
“The European Union deplores and rejects the escalation of violence across the Middle East, where the majority of casualties are civilians.”
“No military solution will bring a future to the people of Israel and Palestine. Only a political solution will bring peace, security and prosperity,” he emphasised.
According to him, the EU considers that an immediate ceasefire on all fronts is the only way to get to the liberation of the hostages and de-escalate this extremely dangerous situation for the region that would seriously impact the whole world.
The EU, he added, has done every effort to alleviate the extreme needs of the Palestinian people, including cases of starvation or basic lack of vaccination for children, by mobilising unprecedented levels of humanitarian aid.
"Unfortunately, that aid does not always reach those in need, and in too many cases it has been obstructed and impeded.
"The EU has also consistently warned about disproportionate use of force incompatible with International Humanitarian Law, which must be respected at all times, including in the fight against terrorism and in the exercise of the legitimate right of self-defence."
"The EU will continue to work tirelessly to pave the way for diplomacy on various fronts," he concluded.
