The needs of Gaza, on the brink of catastrophe, are immense. While waiting for the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas to formalize an exchange of 50 civilian hostages in exchange for four days of humanitarian truce and the release of Palestinian prisoners, the EU, the main donor to the Palestinians and Israel’s trading partner, urges that water, medicine, food and fuel urgently reach the Strip. The person responsible for the European part of this large aid operation, Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management and Humanitarian Aid, warns that guaranteeing basic supplies to the civilian population is an obligation for “all parties to the conflict.” In his office at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Lenarčič (Ljubljana, 56 years old) details the EU’s response and talks about the future. One in which he sees no alternative other than the two-state solution: Israel and Palestine.
Ask. The situation in Gaza is critical, we receive images from local journalists, information from NGOs, but does the EU have first-hand information, eyes on the ground?
Answer. Fortunately, we have evacuated the EU staff who wanted to leave, but we have our humanitarian partners in Gaza, who are acting heroically, operating in a catastrophic situation and in very difficult security conditions. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the World Food Programme, the Red Cross-Red Crescent… More than a hundred members of these organizations have lost their lives in Gaza. In addition, nearly 15,000 Palestinians have died, including a very high proportion of women and children. There has been no respite in the intense bombing of the Strip, there are continuous attacks and clashes around medical facilities, which are protected by international humanitarian law.
Q. We are talking about a siege and an extreme situation for civilians in the Strip.
R. We are talking about a siege that has been only partially mitigated by the resumption of some water and fuel supplies, which are not sufficient for humanitarian needs. And that must be improved. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution that requires in very clear terms prolonged humanitarian pauses and corridors, lasting several days, to allow humanitarian aid and has specified what that aid must include: food, medicine, water, fuel… UN Security Council resolutions are part of international law, which was already very clear before that.
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Q. An international law violated in this siege…
R. Yes, it can be put in different ways: it is not in line with international law. The Security Council has clarified that for all those who needed to clarify that yes, all parties to the conflict, and that includes Hamas and also the Israeli forces, are obliged to ensure supplies and humanitarian aid. We hope that the agreement on a pause in hostilities just reached will allow for a substantial increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to and within Gaza. And we hope it’s not something isolated.
Q. Aside from this agreement, which remains to be seen how it develops, why is so little aid reaching the Strip?
R. Due to Israel’s blockade, crossing points on the Israeli side into Gaza cannot be used, meaning only one crossing, Rafah, is in operation. [desde Egipto]. That pass has a considerable capacity; one of the last few days about 115 trucks with aid have entered there. If that number could be accessed every day, Gaza could receive substantial humanitarian supplies if administrative procedures, including Israeli inspections [a los camiones y los cargamentos] were done quickly. And if that step is not enough, another one would have to be opened. That essential supplies arrive is the obligation of all parties to the conflict.
Q. Can the EU talk to Israel to speed up its part to get the aid through? It is doing?
R. We are talking to Israel and there has been positive movement since the first few days, where some water supplies were returned. The amount of fuel that is allowed to be regularly brought into Gaza, for example, is still not enough. And it is a very necessary element for hospitals, for water pumps and desalination plants, bakeries and for the operations of humanitarian organizations.
Q. The EU is now talking about the day after for Gaza. What will be your role from the point of view of aid and reconstruction?
R. My responsibility is immediate emergency assistance and that is my priority, but the EU is thinking about next steps. We need a radical change in efforts to get work back on track towards a political solution to the conflict. This means revitalizing and accelerating long-stalled efforts toward a two-state solution. There is consensus about it.
Q. The need in Gaza is pressing and the situation is terrifying, what is the situation in the West Bank?
R. The humanitarian situation in the West Bank is steadily deteriorating, mainly due to violence by extremist settlers and also by Israeli security forces. In addition, there are restrictions that do not allow the free movement of Palestinians, who have difficulties accessing their jobs or farms. Israel also canceled work permits, which represented a large part of the Palestinians’ income. EU aid has been designed to reach both Gaza and the West Bank, although the Strip now has more urgent needs. But in view of evolving circumstances, both development aid and humanitarian aid committed to the occupied Palestinian territories will have to increase.
Q. Arab countries and the so-called global south have accused the EU of having a double standard and of treating, for example, what is happening in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion differently from what is happening in Gaza.
R. Each conflict has its own complexities. In the case of Ukraine we are talking about armed aggression by Russia against the sovereignty of a peaceful neighbor. What happened on October 7 was a terrorist attack by Hamas, defined as a terrorist organization by the EU, which committed atrocities that cannot in any way be justified as resistance to the occupation. When the European Union said that Israel has the right to defend itself and protect its people against terrorism and terrorist attacks by Hamas, we also said that this right must be exercised in accordance with international law.
Q. Many believe, however, that the lives of civilian Palestinians and Israelis or Europeans do not count equally for the EU.
R. I do not agree at all, the EU has made it very clear, in many ways and on many occasions and from many sources, that civilian lives must be protected in any conflict, including this one.
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