The head of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has sent a letter to the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, along with three other EU counterparts, asking that at next week’s community summit there be a debate to establish a clear position on the situation in Gaza and the two-state solution.
The letter is signed together with three prime ministers belonging to various political families: the Belgian liberal Alexander de Croo, the Irish conservative Leo Varadkar and the Maltese social democrat Robert Abela.
Government sources have informed Efe that the four signatories of the letter explain in it that they are taking this initiative after the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has requested that the Security Council urgently address the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which they consider alarming.
Given this, they believe it is imperative that the international community adopt urgent measures and that there be a serious debate on the situation at the European Council meeting on December 14 and 15 in Brussels.
In this debate they ask that a clear and firm position be agreed upon by the Twenty-Seven regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian consequences it is having.
They reiterate their condemnation of the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7 and the recognition that Israel can defend itself in accordance with international law, and express their satisfaction with the humanitarian pause that allowed a partial release of Israeli hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid.
But they agree that the EU must go further and must demand a lasting humanitarian ceasefire that can lead to the end of hostilities, demand the protection of civilians in Gaza and that humanitarian aid reaches the Strip without hindrance, warning of that deliberately preventing it may go against international humanitarian law.
In this sense, they advocate facilitating the work of UN agencies and opening the Kerem Shalom border crossing to allow direct access of humanitarian products.
Along with this, they believe there is an urgent need to defend a political process on the two-state solution.
In this sense, the four EU leaders insist on the convenience of convening an international peace conference (a proposal adopted by the Twenty-Seven after being raised by Sánchez at the European Council in October) which they recall has been supported by the Arab League.
They consider, according to the sources cited, that a serious and credible perspective for the recognition of the Palestinian state, together with that of Israel, is the necessary basis to move towards peace and security in the region.
They ask to help the Palestinian National Authority regain effective control of Gaza, and to prevent the escalation of violence in the West Bank they propose imposing travel bans and asset freezes on violent settlers who attack Palestinians.
Sánchez, De Croo, Varadkar and Abela also remember that anti-Semitic incidents have resurfaced in Europe and this cannot be tolerated either, which is why they insist that the time has come for the EU to act because its credibility is at stake.
The letter has been signed in the final stretch of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU, which Belgium will assume on January 1.
The President of the Government and his Belgian counterpart carried out a joint tour of Israel, Palestine and Egypt last month in which they defended to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that their response to the Hamas attacks respects international humanitarian law.
Before the European Council in Brussels, Sánchez will appear on Wednesday, December 13, before the European Parliament, to take stock of the Spanish presidency, since it has been postponed since last July (when he was expected to report on the priorities of those six months) due to the calling of the general elections.
