Netherlands: The 27 European Union nations have jointly condemned Hamas for using “hospitals and civilians as human shields.”
EU Foreign Affairs Chief Mr. Josep Borrell stated that at the same time, the bloc asked Israel “for maximum restraint and targeting in order to avoid human casualties.”
At a meeting of the bloc’s foreign affairs ministers, Mr. Borrell waved a statement he issued on behalf of the 27 countries as a show of unity after weeks of widely divergent views on how the group should address the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“You know how difficult it has been the last times, after the vote in the United Nations, where countries were voted in different ways, to present a completely united approach,” Mr. Borrell added.
Only hours after EU leaders professed unity over the Israel-Hamas war on October 28, the member states were totally split in a vote on a General Assembly resolution calling for humanitarian truces in Gaza to hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
In a statement, the EU nations said that they joined “calls for immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, so that humanitarian aid can safely reach the population of Gaza.”
According to the statement, they reiterated their “call on Hamas for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It is crucial that the International Committee of the Red Cross is granted access to the hostages.”
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