The anniversary of the October 7 terror attack in Israel came amid continued escalation on many fronts. A new cycle of violence, hatred and revenge has increasingly engulfed the entire Middle East, bringing the region to the brink of all-out war, says EU High Representative Josep Borrell on his blog.

“In this dangerous context, the death of Yahya Sinuar should be a turning point,” he notes, noting that he was an EU-listed terrorist responsible for the horrific attack on October 7 and one of the obstacles to an urgently needed end. of fire and the unconditional release of all hostages.

There must now be an end to the wars in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, the hostages must be freed and the suffering of the Palestinian people must end, stresses Josep Borrell.

As former Israeli Defense Minister Gadz recently wrote, Israel’s trauma extends beyond the events of October 7, 2023. It covers not only the 1,200 dead and 250 hostages, of whom about 100 are still being held captive, but also the immediate attack by Hezbollah in northern Israel, forcing 70,000 Israelis to flee their homes, the top spokesman says.

In addition, he notes, there were the Iranian attacks – first on April 13 and then on October 1, forcing millions of Israelis into bomb shelters. The EU immediately and repeatedly condemned these attacks in the strongest terms and recognized Israel’s right and duty to defend and protect its citizens from terrorist attacks. Israel cannot look to its future without ensuring that October 7 will never happen again, he adds.

However, like any right, the inherent right to defend oneself from attack has its limits, stresses Josep Borel. We cannot ignore the fact that October 7 was also the beginning of other tragedies and horrors. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military reprisals. Nearly 100,000 Palestinians have been injured, 60% of the buildings in the enclave have been destroyed.

The European Union has provided over €330 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza in 2023 and 2024 and more than 60 flights have been dispatched with our humanitarian airlift and we have activated the Civil Protection Unit more than ten times since 7 October. Together with the Member States, the EU is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The banning of the organization itself, UNRWA
which ensures that Palestinian refugees receive quality education and health care will exacerbate an already tense situation, with negative consequences not only for the Palestinians, but also for Israel and ultimately Europe.

“What we need most urgently now is a ceasefire and the return of a political process, both in Gaza and in Lebanon,” notes Josep Borrell, pointing out that no military action alone can bring a secure future to the people of the region. . No military action can be legitimate unless there is some attempt to find a political solution to the conflict that caused it. “Only a political settlement will bring security and peace,” he says.

“Lebanon has been threatened to ‘turn into a second Gaza.’ This new war has already created enormous human suffering and could at any time spread to the entire region,” the high representative emphasizes.

He finally notes that “history has shown that there are no military solutions to the deep-rooted conflicts in the Middle East – not in Gaza, not in the West Bank, not in Lebanon. Peace is the only long-term guarantee of security.”