By Vildan Kabasakal
EU High Representative for Foreign Relations and Security Policy Josep Borrell said, “When applying for international law in Ukraine, we cannot ignore it in Gaza. (AA)
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) Foreign Relations and Security Policy, said about the situation in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have been going on for more than 3 months, “When we apply international law in Ukraine, we cannot ignore it in Gaza.” used his expression.
Borrell wrote in an article for the French newspaper Le Monde that there are 3 priorities for the Middle East, where blood pressure is rising, the first of which is “Prevention of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at all costs.
Stating that the second priority is to ease the “disastrous” situation in Gaza by returning to negotiations for the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages, Borrell said, and that the third priority is to stop violence against Palestinians in the West Bank “beginning the end of violence against them “He pointed out that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict paved the way for a solution.
Borrell noted that conflicts have increased on the Lebanese-Israeli border and that the two states must abide by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1701 on borders, adding that otherwise the “Lebanese people will pay a hefty price once again” and “Solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be delayed.
Borrell pointed out that more than 80 percent of the population is displaced within Gaza. “He stressed that the “most important priority” is the prevention of the forced displacement of Gazans, who are illegal and morally also “unacceptable” in terms of international law.
In the southern Gaza city of Welfare, Borrell said more than 250 thousand people were struggling to live under inhumane conditions, noting that entry of aid trucks into Gaza had been slowed down on security grounds and that the situation had to be overcome.
Borrell also reacted to critics of the UN agency, thanking the United Nations Agency for Relief and Public Works of Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for their work in the region.
“When we apply international law in Ukraine, we cannot ignore it in Gaza” Borrell said, noting that otherwise “double standards” would rise in the international community.
Borrell, on the other hand, pointed out that “the mere military solution that did not lead to a political project would not be enough” on the Gaza issue.
EU Representative Borrell commented that the only obstacle to “full normalisation” between Israel and the Arab states is the Israeli-Palestinian problem, and that “tragedy in Gaza can be turned into opportunity. (AA)
