European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell warned on Tuesday that a ground offensive launched by the Israeli army in Rafah would trigger an “even bigger” humanitarian crisis than the one already plaguing the Gaza Strip.
“Of course, the situation is very alarming. I cannot foresee the humanitarian losses that this will entail,” Borrell warned the press upon arriving at a meeting of the Council of Ministers for European Development.
“This will lead to another major humanitarian crisis, even more serious than the one that exists now. We will look at how we can mitigate the consequences of this situation,” he continued.
The head of EU diplomacy expressed regret over the launch of an Israeli ground offensive on Rafah (south of Gaza) (despite all petitions from the international community).
“I fear that this will again lead to numerous civilian casualties,” he insisted and recalled that there are more than 600 thousand children living in the Gaza Strip who will be “pushed into safe areas,” emphasizing that there are no “safe places” in the Gaza Strip. zones”. .
He also stressed that the EU is not going to collect the information it receives through the press and the United Nations, which “have the opportunity to assess the situation” on the ground.
When asked whether European ministers would take any action in this situation, the Spanish politician replied that representatives of the Ministry of Development spoke today about “how to increase support” and that the political situation would be reviewed on the 27th.
“This is not the place to discuss sanctions, but rather cooperation and support. We’ll see at the next Foreign Relations Council,” he commented.
Regarding the letter sent by Spain and Ireland to the European Commission with a request to limit the application of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel, Borell said that, according to his information, the president of the institution, Ursula von der Leyen, did not respond to the letter.
Borrell made it clear that at the moment, unfortunately, it is not possible to begin discussing peace plans,” and called for the continuation of the ceasefire, the release of hostages held by the Islamist group Hamas, and the beginning of the political process.
Additionally, he said he saw no reason why payments to the UN Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) should not be resumed following an independent report prepared by former French minister Catherine Colonna following Israeli terrorism allegations against the organization.
After this report, Borrell assured that the idea of cutting funding to UNRWA was “baseless.”
He recalled that all Member States had resumed payments to UNRWA, “a fundamental institution for hundreds of thousands of people.”
He also indicated that he had received a letter from the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, in which he asks the European Commission to proceed with the next funding planned for the agency, and hopes that member states will support this request.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal

I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.