Israeli plan to destroy Hamas not working, peace talks needed! Josep Borrell

Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/eudebates Israel's plan to destroy Islamist Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza is not working and the European Union must pursue efforts to create a "two-state solution" despite Israeli opposition, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister had on Sunday reaffirmed a hard line against any Palestinian state as it would pose "an existential danger" to Israel. He said Israel would keep insisting on full security control over all territory west of the Jordan River, which would include Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Borrell spoke at the monthly gathering of EU foreign ministers, attended this time by counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan and the Arab League secretary-general. The talks will focus mainly on the consequences of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki were making separate appearances at the meeting, which was also taking stock of the war in Ukraine. Alluding to Israel's stated objective of annihilating Hamas in its devastating three-month-old war in the Gaza Strip, Borrell told reporters: "What are the other solutions they have in mind. Make all the Palestinians leave? Kill all of them?...The way they are destroying Hamas is not the way to do it. They are sealing the hate for generations." Borrell said he wanted to press ahead with international efforts to create a process that would lead to a Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel. The last talks to that end collapsed a decade ago amid mutual mistrust and intransigence. Israel’s foreign minister was in Brussels on Monday to address his counterparts from the European Union, as part of a “diplomatic battle” to win support from the bloc amid deepening criticism over the human toll of the war and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to consider Palestinian statehood. The foreign minister, Yisrael Katz, was scheduled to meet in a private session with E.U. foreign ministers to discuss defeating Hamas and the return of hostages from Gaza, his office said. In brief remarks to reporters before the meeting, Mr. Katz said he would speak about Israel’s need for international support to succeed in both those objectives. “I’m here to meet my colleagues, the foreign ministers for the E.U., and to discuss with them about two main issues. First of all, bring back our hostages,” Mr. Katz said, holding up photos of the youngest hostage, 1-year-old Kfir Bibas, and several others. He added that Israel needed E.U. support to ensure its security, adding: “Our brave soldiers are fighting in very hard conditions.” The Palestinian foreign minister, Riyad al-Maliki, was also scheduled to address the E.U. officials in a separate appearance. Gazan health officials said on Sunday that the death toll from Israel’s attacks since Oct. 7 had surpassed 25,000. Even the United States, Israel’s biggest ally, has been pressuring it to reduce civilian casualties. And anger is growing among the Israeli public over the government’s failure to secure the release of the more than 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza after nearly four months of war. Senior leaders of the Israeli military have expressed frustrations over the feasibility of both freeing the hostages and eradicating Hamas, which Mr. Netanyahu has insisted upon, and over his equivocation about a postwar plan for Gaza. Over the weekend, Mr. Netanyahu categorically refused Hamas’s call for a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza in return for the release of hostages, and doubled down on his opposition to the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, which President Biden and several European leaders have argued is the only viable long-term resolution. Mr. Netanyahu’s comments came two days after he spoke by phone with Mr. Biden, who expressed optimism to reporters after the call that the two leaders might find consensus about a two-state solution. Mr. Biden’s Middle East coordinator at the White House, Brett McGurk, headed back to the region on Sunday in hopes of making progress on freeing hostages, according to two American officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of diplomatic talks. Stay connected with us! Facebook:   / eudebates.tv   Twitter:   / eudebates   Instagram:   / eudebates.tv   #eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #Borrell #Israel #Gaza #truce #hostages #Palestine #Hezbollah #hostage #Netanyahu #Jerusalem #Palestinians #MiddleEast #gazawar #Hamas #war #Hamas #massacre #israelpalestineconflict #israelhamaswar #Lebanon