EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell has spoken to Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi about the “ongoing catastrophe” in Gaza as well as the deteriorating situation for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
In a post on social media, Borrell said that he and the Minister were gravely concerned that “full humanitarian access is still being denied” to the people of Gaza amid an Israeli border blockade of the war-torn Palestinian territory.
Despite a binding – though unenforced – order by the International Court of Justice, Borrell said that fighting has not ended in Gaza, Israeli captives have not been released, and a ceasefire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden has not been implemented.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi called on the international community to act without delay to stop Israel from committing more war crimes in the Gaza Strip and to lift its “inhumane blockade” on the enclave.
He stressed that these actions are necessary “to protect the Palestinian people from massacres and starvation and to uphold international law and humanitarian values that Israel continues to violate with impunity.”
Safadi noted that the international response to these crimes has been “insufficient to curb the extremism of the Israeli government and stop the massacres it commits.”
The Jordanian Minister urged the EU to take “punitive measures” against Israel to pressure it into respecting international law and its agreements with the bloc and “to immediately cease its aggression in Gaza.
He pointed out that all these illegal actions violate international humanitarian law and EU laws and values, necessitating a comprehensive European response to halt them.
“A radical, racist Israel Govt shouldn’t be given impunity. It must face sanctions & be held to account,” he wrote on social media.
The two diplomats also discussed efforts to reach a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and emphasized the need for all parties to agree on US President Joe Biden’s initiative in this regard.
Gaza’s children make up nearly 16,000 of the more than 37,000 people killed since October 7, 2024.
According to aid agencies, a further 3,500 children are malnourished and on the brink of death.
In addition, an estimated 17,000 young Palestinians have lost one of both their parents and they are being classified as WCNSF (wounded child with no surviving family members).
Israel’s war on Gaza has also turned schools in the besieged enclave into places of shelter rather than learning.
Almost 625,000 young Palestinians have been out of school for more than eight months.
Spanish And Qatari Foreign Ministers Hold Talks On Gaza
Also on Friday, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares and Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks on Gaza.
Speaking at a news briefing in Madrid after their meeting, Albares stated that the cessation of military operations in Rafah is necessary.
“We will do our best to support international law,” he said.
“We are in favour of the two-state solution and recognise Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. We want the West Bank and Gaza to form one state after the war stops.”
Jose Manuel Albares
Albares added, “We are working with our partners to de-escalate in southern Lebanon and this is another reason to stop the war in Gaza.”
On his part, Sheikh Mohammed stated, “We are working to reach a ceasefire agreement and exchange prisoners and detainees.”
He welcomed Spain’s decision to join the case filed by South Africa before the ICJ.
He noted that recognition of the Palestinian state is an important message to reject double standards, adding, “We are doing everything possible to stop the escalation and completely reject the threats of Hezbollah.”
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