Brussels, May 24 (FN Agency) The European Union’s upcoming Foreign Affairs Council on May 27 will discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip with the Arab League and other Arab partners, EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano said on Thursday. “I can confirm that the Foreign Affairs Council this Monday will be discussing, among the issues on the agenda, the conflict in Gaza and its regional implications and consequences. And these will be discussed not only among the ministers from 27 member states but also with our partners from the Arab region and from the League of Arab States,” Stano told reporters.
Arab leaders called for an international peace conference on Palestine at a summit of the 22-nation Arab League last week. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighbourhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed, and some 240 others were abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 35,600 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.