A round up of some of the main political reactions to the recent developments in the Middle East:
EU foreign minister to meet on Tuesday to discuss situation in Israel – Borrell
- BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell is convening an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday to address the situation in Israel and in the region, according to a post from Borrell on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
They will meet to consider the responses and next steps for the EU, including reviewing aspects of development aid.
The EU Commission also said on Monday that it is reviewing the consequences for its development assistance.
“The Commission is currently assessing how the recent tragic events might affect our current and our future development assistance,” an EU Commission spokesperson told reporters on Monday.
“EU funding supports most essential services for the Palestinian population and contributes direct financing also to the Palestinian authority.”
EU ministers will meet in Muscat, Oman where a meeting of EU and Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers was already scheduled to take place.
Russia’s Lavrov and Arab League chief call for end to fighting in Israel
- MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for a swift end to fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian Hamas militants on Monday during talks in Moscow with Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Russia and the Arab League can help halt the bloodshed in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Lavrov added.
Gheit also called for an end to the fighting but said such violence would continue as long as the Palestinian problem remained unsolved.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that talks on a two-state solution that provided for the peaceful co-existence of Israel and the Palestinians were the only way forward once hostilities had ended.
Lavrov was speaking at a news conference in Moscow alongside Ahmed Aboul Gheit, chief of the Arab League.
Gheit said there would be more wars unless Israel changed its stance on the Palestinians.
China opposes violence in Middle East
- BEIJING- China is very concerned about the recent escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and is opposed to violence and attacks, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
“China opposes actions that escalate conflicts and undermine regional stability. We hope to see an early ceasefire, cessation of war and restoration of peace,” spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing in a response to a query.
“The international community should effectively play its role and work together to cool down the situation,” Mao said.
“The only way out of the recurring Palestinian-Israeli conflict is to resume peace talks, implement the two-state solution, push for a comprehensive and proper settlement of the Palestinian issue through political means at an early date, and address the legitimate concerns of all parties.”
Separately, the foreign ministry said it was saddened by civilian casualties, and urged Chinese citizens travelling to the area to pay close attention to the local security situation and avoid going out.
The ministry said it had immediately activated the consular protection emergency response to help Chinese citizens and institutions in the Palestinian territories and Israel.
India watching closely
- NEW DELHI – India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer, is watching the ongoing conflict in the Middle East closely, the country’s oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday.
Oil prices rose over $3 a barrel on Monday as military clashes between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas deepened political uncertainty across the Middle East and raised concerns about supplies. O/R
“The place where action is taking place is in many respects the centre of global energy… as we go along we will navigate through this,” Puri told reporters at an industry event in New Delhi.
Global uncertainties of such nature encourage people to use sustainable, cleaner fuels, Puri said, adding that $100 per barrel crude oil prices was unsustainable.
World Bank says it hopes for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict in Israel, Gaza
- MARRAKECH, Morocco – The World Bank on Monday told its staff it was gravely concerned about the “shocking escalation” of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since Saturday and hoped for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict.
The memo, a copy of which was viewed by Reuters, cited what it called “devastating loss of life, destruction and heavy toll on civilians being incurred on both sides.”
“We hope for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict and end to the violence. The World Bank and our development partners have long worked to support the poorest, most vulnerable people in the West Bank and Gaza, and we remain committed to building the foundations for a more stable and sustainable future.”
