EU – summit (Frederiksen)

EU leaders have agreed to step up diplomacy with Israel and other “partners in the region” and have agreed on a common line regarding the conflict in Israel and Gaza, EU President Charles Michel said. The announcement came at a press conference after an extraordinary EU summit on Tuesday evening. EU leaders backed the joint statement issued on Sunday condemning Hamas attacks and supporting Israel’s right to self-defence in respect of international law. At the same time, the EU declaration offers a long-term solution for Israel.
     The aim of the extraordinary summit was to clarify a common European approach to the conflict. This comes after a week in which the European Commission has been criticised for taking a strongly pro-Israel line in the days following the Hamas attack, without aligning it with member states. “The situation in Israel and Palestine is serious, which is why I am meeting with my colleagues in the EU. We strongly condemn Hamas’s horrific terrorist attacks on Israel. And we agree on Israel’s right to defend itself, and that this must be done within the framework of international law,” Mette Frederiksen said adding: “At the same time, the meeting is another opportunity to emphasise that Hamas must release all hostages without further conditions.”
     “We support a long-term solution to the conflict based on a two-state solution,” Charles Michel told the news conference. At the meeting, the countries also discussed the need for humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. Here, the European Commission will set up an airlift from Egypt to get help into Gaza. In connection with the meeting, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also announced that Denmark will provide DKK 50 million for humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. /ritzau/