Humanitarian aid being blocked, international humanitarian law violations, Israeli army occupation of parts of the Gaza Strip, increasing abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank and an acceleration in settlement expansion: One year and a half after Hamas's October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks and the start of the Israeli military retaliation to destroy the Islamist organization, the situation in the Palestinian territories has never seemed more dire.

Assembled in Luxembourg on Monday, April 14, the foreign ministers of European Union countries lamented the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, described as "catastrophic" by Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, and condemned the total blockade of Gaza. They echoed a statement by Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, who, once again, called for ceasefire negotiations to resume, for humanitarian aid to be given unhindered access to Gaza and for hostages held by Hamas to be freed. Overall, the 27 EU member states seemed largely resigned to the inextricable situation.

"On the Israel-Palestine conflict, we recognize the weakness of the European Union," confided a dejected minister, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The situation in the Palestinian territories "is very grave and there is frustration that we cannot do enough to stop that," acknowledged Kallas, who added, "Israel has the right to defend itself, but its current actions go beyond proportionate self-defense."

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