While EU members Ireland and Spain are expected to make the recognition of the Palestinian State official on Tuesday, European Foreign Affairs Ministers approve the reactivation of an EU border mission at Rafah.
The European Union’s relationship with Israel hit a rough patch on Monday, after Israel’s deadly attacks in southern Gaza’s city of Rafah, which health officials say killed 45 Palestinians, hit tents for displaced people and left “numerous” others trapped in flaming debris.
Following the recent events, European Foreign Affairs Ministers agreed on reactivating an EU border mission at Rafah, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said on Monday.
“I proposed to the ministers, they gave me the green light, the political green light to reactivate our mission in Rafah, which has been sleeping for years, not active. This could play a crucial role in supporting the entry of people into Gaza and in and out,” Borrell said.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Israel’s latest strikes on Rafah will have long-standing repercussions. “Israel with this choice is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. I would have preferred another decision,″ he told SKY TG24.
The strikes came after the UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice, on Friday demanded that Israel immediately halt its offensive on Rafah.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the deadly strikes on Rafah over the weekend. The Turkish leader has accused Israel of carrying out war crimes and genocide, something Israel denies.
“The genocidal murderers, who have martyred more than 36,000 of our Palestinian brothers and sisters so far, rained missiles and bombs yesterday on civilians in a refugee camp in Rafah, which they declared a safe zone. This massacre took place after the call of the International Court of Justice to stop the attacks,” Erdogan said.
Spain, Ireland, and Norway are set to formalise their recognition of the Palestinian state. The step is seen as a major achievement for the Palestinians, as they perceive it as granting international legitimacy to their cause.