Emergency Meeting Called To 'Harmonise' EU's Response To Israel-Hamas War

 

An emergency meeting of the heads of EU member states has been called on Tuesday to “harmonize” the bloc’s response to the violence amid growing fears over the Israel-Hamas conflict worsening into a wider war and triggering a humanitarian catastrophe in the region

Ukraine is still a major concern. Although support from the EU and the US for Ukraine has not wavered, there is a threat that a wider Middle East conflict would lead to rivalry for political as well as military attention.

There are worries that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza may erode the base of support the bloc had established in the developing world.

After a weekend of frantic conversations, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, released a unified statement on Sunday. However, insiders claim that the lack of cooperation cannot continue after a week of disagreements over money for Palestine and the visit to Israel by the president of the European Commission, von der Leyen.

The situation of EU citizens who have been held captive by Hamas and the estimated number of EU civilians in Gaza worries the commission and member states. Additionally, concerns about antisemitism and hate crimes exist.