Von der Leyen and Sunak demand priority in protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke by phone this Sunday and agreed to demand that the protection of civilians be a priority in the Gaza Strip.

Both officials expressed “concerns” about the risk of a military escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas, which could ultimately affect the entire Middle East region, the European Commission said in a statement.

Von der Leyen and Sunak demanded the unconditional release of hostages abducted by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people and sparked an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has already killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.

Both leaders also emphasize the “shared commitment” of the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom to guarantee “peace and security” in Europe.

They acknowledged that the situation in Ukraine “requires maximum attention” after the Ukrainian army decided to withdraw its troops from the city of Avdovka in order to avoid a siege of its soldiers and save their lives.

Ursula von der Leyen told Sunak details of the €50 billion aid package for Ukraine that EU countries approved earlier this month after overriding a Hungarian veto.

The telephone conversation took place on the same day as the end of the Security Conference in Munich (Germany), at which Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky asked the West to speed up the sending of aid, since, according to him, Kiev’s “weapons shortage” allows the Russians President Vladimir Putin needs to “adapt to the current intensity of the war.”

The US House of Representatives, where the Republican Party has a majority, is blocking approval of a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine after the Senate approved it with votes of Democrats and some Republicans.