European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell stressed that the military solution in the Gaza Strip will not be sufficient if it does not lead to a political project.
He explained in an article published by the French newspaper Le Monde that there are now three priorities: preventing the conflict from spreading to Lebanon at all costs, liberating the hostages, and paving the way for resolving the crisis.
Borrell wrote, “More than 3 months after the tragedy of October 7, I returned from the Middle East, concerned about the seriousness of the situation, but I am more determined than ever to hear the voice of balance, reason, and realism, because if the problems are complex, war will not be inevitable.” Except for those who have a political interest in perpetuating it.”
Regarding the tragic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Borrell said, “On the humanitarian level, the situation is horrific.”
He added, “More than 80% of the population has been displaced inside the Gaza Strip, and the top priority now is to prevent new forced displacement outside the Strip de facto. This is illegal under international law and morally unacceptable.”
Borrell also stated that “near the city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, more than 250,000 people are currently living in inhumane conditions.”
He continued, “We must alleviate their suffering by accelerating the entry of food supplies and therefore trucks into the Gaza Strip. As we know, there is not a sufficient number of trucks allowed to enter, and their entry faces difficulties due to cumbersome controls, as US Senator Chris Van Hollen noted on the ground, and also due to security conditions.” “For this reason, reducing the intensity of the fighting and then suspending it is necessary.”
“We must also contribute to the gradual return to a cash economy if we do not want the population to remain completely dependent on international aid for survival,” Borrell added.
He pointed out that “the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the only obstacle preventing full normalization between the Arab countries and Israel,” stressing that “there is a real possibility of turning the tragedy into an opportunity.”