The leaders of the Member States have agreed to ask “humanitarian corridors and breaks for humanitarian needs” to Israel and Hamas, to ensure the delivery of aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, and to support the holding of a peace conference “soon”as Pedro Sánchez has proposed.

After a six-hour discussion on the crisis in the middle eastthe heads of State and Government of the Twenty-seven have finally agreed on a request for “continued, rapid, secure and unhindered humanitarian accessand help to reach those in need by any means necessary, including humanitarian corridors and breaks for humanitarian needs”.

A consensus formula reached after days of negotiations diplomatic efforts to find a language with which to demand a truce in the face of the reluctance of countries like Germany or Austria, which asked to make clear Israel’s right to fight Hamas and They rejected the request for a ceasefireas Ireland or Spain defended, in line with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

Thus, the European bloc places Israel’s respect for International Law as a limit to its response to Hamas and demands the protection of civilians “at all times”, while urging Hamas to unconditionally release the hostages taken during its attack on October 7.

“Unity is our strength. Agreement on the conclusions of the European Council on the situation in the Middle East,” the president of the European Council indicated on his social networks, Charles Michelwho arrived at the summit ensuring that unity was the best argument against criticism of the EU for double standards in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

A peace conference “soon”

Likewise, the European position places emphasis on reviving the political process for the two-state solution and welcomes diplomatic initiatives in this regard, expressing its support for organizing an “international peace conference soon”, after the acting Spanish president proposed holding a peace conference “in six months”.

In this regard, diplomatic sources cited by Europa Press point out that Spain has maintained a “tough” position until the last moment to include the term ‘ceasefire’ in the summit conclusions, a red line for Germany or the Netherlands. Spain also requested the involvement of the community bloc in a peace conference that would provide a political perspective to the crisis and advance the recognition of the State of Palestine.

Sánchez has reached the summit with the proposal of a peace conference “in six months” to promote the recognition of Palestine, an initiative that has already led to the summit hosted by Egypt in Cairo last weekend, and that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, put on the table in a meeting with his European counterparts this Monday in Luxembourg.

US, willing to consider a “humanitarian pause”

After the agreement in the EU, USA This very Thursday he showed himself in favor of consider a “humanitarian pause” in the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of humanitarian aid. The spokesman for the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, explained that “it is an idea worth exploring” and that it amounts to a “temporary, localized and specific solution on the battlefield so that humanitarian assistance reach the people who need it.

The need to opt for ceasefire or humanitarian pause has divided the international community, with countries against the first option, such as the US and the United Kingdom, and others that support the cessation of hostilities, such as the Arab countries.