The EU on Wednesday called on Israel to open additional crossings besides the Cyprus maritime corridor so that more aid can reach Gaza.
Josep Borrell © Mena Today
The EU on Wednesday called on Israel to open additional crossings besides the Cyprus maritime corridor so that more aid can reach Gaza.
"While supporting the Cyprus maritime corridor, we call on Israel to open additional crossings so more aid can reach Gaza, including the North, and to ease overall customs restrictions", EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said on social media platform X.
The statement came after Lenarcic virtually met with Cypriot Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, British Foreign Minister David Cameron, UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatari Foreign Affairs Minister Abdulrahman Al Thani and U.N. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag.
"Israel must prioritize civilian protection and humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip as its 'number one' priority," said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"We expect the Israeli government to make this issue a priority. Protecting civilians, providing people with the assistance they need, that's what should be the number one priority, even as they do what is necessary to defend the country and address the threat posed by Hamas," Blinken told the press.
The U.S. Secretary of State also met with EU High Representative Josep Borrell at the State Department headquarters.
Borrell on Tuesday denounced the use of hunger "as a weapon of war" in Gaza, a statement that Blinken did not endorse, emphasizing that Israel allows "food to enter."
This is not the first time Borrell has made hostile statements towards Israel. The EU official's remarks are irresponsible and do not meet the standards of his position.
Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Mena Today
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Wednesday to discuss negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire deal, Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X.
There have been some good signs of more trucks and supplies getting to Gaza but the European Union needs to see more improvement on the ground, the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday, ahead of a meeting with senior Middle Eastern and EU officials in Brussels.
Egypt's foreign minister said on Monday that the flow of aid into Gaza has not increased despite an agreement last week between Israel and the European Union that should have had that result.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.