EU leaders issued their first joint demand for a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages in Gaza in joint summit statement on Thursday.
The statement called for “an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” and repeated condemnations of the Hamas attacks on October 7 against Israel.
In the aftermath of the Hamas attacks, EU leaders managed in October to only call together for “humanitarian corridors and pauses” in Gaza to allow aid to reach Palestinian civilians.
Ireland, Spain, and Belgium pushed for the ceasefire at the summit in Brussels. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to the calls after previously opposing ceasefire in October, citing Israel’s right to defence against attacks from Hamas.
A general view during the the EU summit in Brussels. -/European Council/dpa
