EU leaders call for immediate cease-fire in Gaza

The European Council, composed of the heads of state or of government of the 27 E.U.member states, the president of the European Council and the president of the European Commission, called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza on Thursday.The council, meeting in Brussels, called for a “cease-fire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages, leading to a permanent end to hostilities,” it said in its conclusions issued at an E.U.

summit meeting in Brussels where developments in the Middle East were discussed.The council said it “deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation.The European Council calls on Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza, to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza and to enable the U.N.

and its agencies, and humanitarian organizations, to work independently and impartially to save lives and reduce suffering,” the conclusions read.The text continued: “Israel must fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.The European Council recalls the imperative of ensuring the protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers, at all times, as well as of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, schools and U.N.

premises.”The European Council also deplored “the refusal of Hamas to hand over the remaining hostages.”The E.U.leaders took note of the review report prepared by the E.U.’s External Service on Israel’s compliance with Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and invited the E.U.’s foreign ministers to continue discussions on a follow-up, as appropriate, in July, taking into account the evolution of the situation on the ground.The review report concluded that there were “indications” that Israel was in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of ...