The deadlock in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas about a ceasefire-hostage deal continued last week amid alarming reports about starvation in Gaza and mounting pressure by EU on Israel to end the war and increase access to humanitarian assistance.
The visit to the region by US President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, did not break the deadlock. He had postponed the visit until there was more progress in the talks and only then he would come to put pressure on Israel to close the deal. While expressing empathy with the families of the Israeli hostages he did not give them much hope of a deal anytime soon.
Witkoff also visited Gaza to inspect the aid distribution by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) which had been tasked by Israel to deliver and distribute the aid instead of UN agencies. Its badly designed aid distribution worsened the humanitarian situation and was marked by chaotic scenes and the killing of hundreds of people coming to collect the aid.
He did not publicly comment on GHF and the starvation in Gaza but seemed open for alternative aid deliveries and routes with the involvement of Arab countries. However, Witkoff’s visit was overshadowed by the release of shocking photos by the terrorist organisations in Gaza of two emaciated Israeli hostages in a tunnel pleading for help before it is too late.
In Israel, the photos were taken as evidence that Hamas is starving the hostages and diverted the attention from the disastrous humanitarian situation and destruction in Gaza. The Israeli government continue to deny that there is a hunger crisis in Gaza although the reports have been confirmed in Israeli media.
“While the State of Israel is allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, the terrorists of Hamas are deliberately starving our hostages and document them in a cynical and evil manner,” Prime-Minister Netanyahu said in a statement.
The Israel Medical Association has urged the authorities to ensure medical equipment and basic humanitarian conditions for the Palestinian civilian population. Human rights organisation B’tzelem published last Monday a report accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Former Israeli Prime-Minister Ehud Olmert published recently an op-ed accusing the Israeli army of war crimes. Another former Prime-Minister, Ehud Barak, called on the public and civil society to launch a peaceful civilian uprising to force the government to change course or resign and agree to new elections.
Things appeared for a while to improve when the Israeli army last week announced that military activity would pause during the day in areas where the army is not operating with ground troops. Secure routes would also be opened “to enable the safe passage of UN and humanitarian aid organization convoys delivering and distributing food and medicine to the population across the Gaza Strip.”
This seemed to meet the EU demands in the EU – Israel understanding on increasing access to humanitarian aid. Prime-Minister Netanyahu motivated the new policy as necessary to avoid sanctions against Israel.
But it was too late and probably too little. The European Commission decided last Monday to propose a partial Israeli suspension of Israel’s participation in Horizon Europe, EU’s flagship programme for research and development. The Commission also declared that all options in the review paper on the possible suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement remained on the table.
In fact, the decision was symbolic and an early warning that EU’s patience with the Israeli government is running out. The decision, which requires qualified majority in the Council, applies to a minor part of Horizon relating to funding to start-ups developing disruptive technologies (EIC Accelerator). It will not have an effect on existing contracts and collaborative research projects under Horizon.
A senior EU official, on a mission to Israel last week to investigate the implementation of the EU – Israel understanding, said at a technical briefing for journalists that the Commission needs to verify the actual figures itself and check the Israeli allegations about limited UN capacity to deliver the aid. He wanted to accompany an aid convoy together with UN staff but was denied entry by the Israeli authorities.
Differing figures are flying around, he said. “The situation is still evolving with some but limited progress. We need to see a trend and be sure that the aid deliveries will continue.” The Commission did not respond to a request for clarification about the suspension decision and the outcome of his verification mission on the ground.
The Commission is cautious in its approach to Israel and wants to keep the channels open to improve the situation on the ground and promote the two-state solution “the day after”. EU Member States are divided on the use of diplomacy but more countries have declared that they will recognize Palestine at next UN General Assembly in September or at the end of a political process which needs to start now.
When French President Macron recently announced that France will recognize Palestine, he underlined that the EU must also ensure the demilitarization of Hamas. Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, who represented the EU at last week’s UN High Ministerial Meeting on Advancing the Two-State Solution, said in a speech that Hamas must be fully disarmed and cannot be part of any solution in Gaza.
In the European Parliament, a group of members issued last week a petition, signed by 46 MEPs from six political groups representing 15 Member States. “The UN and the EU have a responsibility to act now,” the statement says. “The world cannot remain silent as innocent civilians, including children, are starved and killed.”
While Hamas must release the Israeli hostages immediately, the MEPs also called on the EU to hold the Israeli government accountable. The entire EU-Israel Association agreement should be suspended. Sanctions should be imposed against the government which includes extremist ministers that are blocking humanitarian aid and inciting to more violence, destruction and ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
“MEPs from a wide range of pro-European, pro-democratic parties have come together to demand actions from all EU institutions,” Evin Incir (S&D, SW), who initiated the statement, told The Brussels Times. “Just partial suspension of Horizon Europe is not enough.” David Casa (EPP, MT) added that the situation in Gaza is beyond intolerable and the war must end.
The Israeli government is still in denial mode. It rejects the two-state solution and the recognition of Palestine as “surrender to terrorism” and has dismissed the allegations of starvation in Gaza as “fake news”, serving the interests of Hamas. In fact, Hamas launched its attack on 7 October because its rejects the two-state solution and still rejects it.
The mass demonstrations inside Israel and the advice by its friends abroad continue to be disregarded by the Israeli government. Even the Israeli chief of staff has not hidden his opinion that the current military operation is useless and senseless but has not openly criticized the government. Despite his reservations, he says that the army is prepared to implement any political decision.
Netanyahu has promised the families of the hostages that the efforts to return all hostages are continuing constantly but is pressured by his extremist coalition partners to resume the military offensive in Gaza. He might do it already this week if the current deadlock in the ceasefire talks is not resolved.
