The European Council arrived at its meeting with the cracks due to the diversity of sensitivities towards the conflict in Gaza half closed. They had been openly exposed by the contrast between the statements of the foreign policy representatives of the European Union, which has always tried to offer itself as a valid interlocutor for both parties, and the gestures of support without nuances or compensation towards Israel by Ursula von der Leyen. The Union had achieved a minimum consensus on Israel’s evident right to defend itself from an aggression such as that launched by Hamas, but to do so in compliance with international and humanitarian law. And on Thursday, after five hours of intense meeting, he managed to approve a declaration in which he called for humanitarian pauses to be agreed on in the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the opening of corridors with “continuous” access so that the essential help. Saving the image of unity in an essentially semantic exercise at the cost of not openly calling for a ceasefire as countries like Spain or the UN would have demanded, but only “breaks” have the value that they have. More internal than in order to make the Union’s position relevant in the conflict. Because it does not serve to hide that countries like Germany and Austria They are not about to defend the ceasefire, but put Israel’s right to defend itself above all other considerationsand if they accept that Israel’s response be required to adhere to humanitarian criteria, it is because in their opinion they are already doing so.
In the midst of the paroxysm of war, Hamas’ announcement that it will not release hostages in the absence of a ceasefire, and Israel’s refusal to limit military deployment, something more must be done than demanding humanitarian aid access without the which the Israeli response to the aggressors becomes indiscriminate collective punishment. The intention of the president of the Spanish Government to take advantage of the current presidency of the EU and the meeting of foreign ministers of the Union for the Mediterranean (UpM), on November 27 in Barcelona, to “take a first step” in the search for peace in the Middle East is a gesture of good will. Taking into account that among the 42 partners of the UfM there are several Arab countries, Israel and Palestine, the mere fact that this transversal forum came to meet, that the actors directly involved in the war show willingness to go to Barcelona to share the same table, would allow us to glimpse a breath of hope. A moment like this must come: another thing is to hope that events on the battlefield allow it in such a short time. That and other initiatives such as that of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, cannot ignore the fact that Its effectiveness will ultimately depend on the willingness of the United States to support them and to induce Israel to take them into consideration.
But the contagion capacity of the crisis ongoing remains disturbing. It is enough to look at Iran’s involvement, plus the possible exploitation by Russia and China of the instability in the region to conclude that the risks are enormous if concerted efforts are not able to stop the carnage before it is too late.