European Council says it “deplores” both the recent breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza as well as Hamas’ refusal to release hostages, calls for full implementation of the ceasefire.
The European Council on Thursday condemned the recent breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza, calling for an immediate return to the ceasefire agreement, which includes the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
In a statement, the European Council said it “deplores the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza, which has caused a large number of civilian casualties in recent air strikes” and added that it “deplores the refusal of Hamas to hand over the remaining hostages.”
The Council stressed that the full implementation of the ceasefire, alongside the release of all hostages, is crucial for moving towards the second phase of the agreement.
The European Council also highlighted the urgent need for “unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza. This access and distribution, as well as the supply of electricity to Gaza, including for the water desalination plants, must be resumed immediately.”
The Council also expressed its support for the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, which was endorsed at the Cairo Summit on March 4. It added that the European Union (EU) “stands ready to engage with its Arab partners, as well as with other international partners, on that basis.”
Furthermore, the statement said that the EU reaffirms its commitment to a two-state solution as the foundation for long-term peace in the region.
“The European Union is ready to contribute to all efforts towards this solution and calls on all parties to refrain from actions that undermine its viability. It will continue to work with regional and international partners to that end. The European Union will continue supporting the Palestinian Authority and its reform agenda,” it added.
The statement comes two days after Israel launched surprise strikes against terrorist targets in Gaza early Tuesday morning. The strikes followed Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages and its rejection US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal.
Israel’s renewed strikes on Gaza were condemned on Tuesday by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who wrote in a post on X, “I am outraged by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. I strongly appeal for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein fired back at Guterres and wrote, “We are outraged that you, Antonio Guterres, are the Secretary-General of the UN.”
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that US President Donald Trump “fully supports” Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip. Leavitt was asked if Trump is seeking to restore the ceasefire in Gaza and replied, “The President made it very clear to Hamas that if they did not release all of the hostages, there would be all hell to pay. Unfortunately, Hamas chose to play games in the media with lives.”
“This situation is completely the fault of Hamas when they launched that brutal attack on Israel on October 7th. The president has made it very clear that he wants all of those hostages to come home,” she said, adding that the President “fully supports Israel and the IDF and the actions that they have taken in recent days.”
