“EU ministers gave the political green light to reactivate EUBAM, our years-inactive Rafah border mission“, J. Borel said at the press conference shortly after the conclusion of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

According to the head of European diplomacy, this EU civilian mission could play a “useful role” in humanitarian access to Gaza, but this is something that must be agreed with the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and Israel.

“We are prepared to do so if the political conditions are met“, said Z. Borel, noting that “this is something that has been asked of us”.

Z. Borrell also stated that the Foreign Ministers agreed to reiterate three demands to the Netanyahu government in Israel: first, to implement the orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), second, to stop blocking the funding of the Palestinian Authority and third, to stop designating UNRWA as a terrorist organization and consequently ban it from working in Gaza and the Palestinian Territories.

Regarding the first request, J. Borel said that the decision of the ICJ, the highest court of the UN, is binding and must be implemented, as all members of the UN have the obligation to comply with these decisions.

As for the second demand, Borrell stressed that Israel must stop freezing the Palestinian Authority’s revenues and financial resources it has “to maintain a minimum of order in the West Bank,” which is “on the boil.”

The EU is the largest financial donor to the Palestinian Authority and we cannot afford its economic suffocation by the indiscriminate actions of the Netanyahu government,” he added.

Besides, the High Representative said that the EU Ministers agreed to hold an Association Council with Israel, in order to discuss the situation in Gaza, human rights and the implementation of the judgments of the International Court of Justice.

All the above issues were discussed in the Council and with the Foreign Ministers of the Arab countries (Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and the secretary general of the Arab League).

“It was a long and intense political debate,” said Borrell, which unfortunately had to be interrupted due to the scheduled Syria Conference. J. Borel said that the Arab countries proposed to hold an international conference for the next day in Gaza and how the two-state solution could be implemented, which is no different from the European Council’s call for an international peace conference for the Middle East.