The report prepared by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy clearly establishes that Israel has violated Article 2 of the Association Agreement with the European Union, which concerns human rights violations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
According to Report's European bureau, Barrot said the recent events in the region in no way cause the EU to forget the situation in Gaza.
"We call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages by Hamas, and unrestricted, immediate access for humanitarian aid," he said, adding that today's meeting will include discussions on the report by the EU High Representative regarding Israel's compliance with the Association Agreement that links it to the European Union.
According to the French Foreign Minister, discussions on the report will take place today, and conclusions on further actions will be made at the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting in July.
At the same time, he stressed that Europe remains committed to recognizing the State of Palestine through a collective process involving all stakeholders, aimed at creating the possibility of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — a two-state solution based on guarantees provided to both peoples.
"It is in this spirit that we are actively preparing the UN conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, which we had to postpone due to security and logistical concerns," Barrot concluded.
