Metsola visits Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza

Brussels – EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola is on an official visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, where she is holding talks with leading local political authorities.

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, began her trip to the hottest area in the Middle East today (Feb. 13) and will continue until tomorrow. Upon arriving, she said, “At this critical time for the region and the world, I wanted to come here to emphasize and witness firsthand Europe’s crucial role in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza. “

European partners are ready “to intensify our commitment and do everything we can to make the ceasefire and hostage release agreement hold,” she added, although the pact’s future is more fragile than ever these hours. The EU, she says, is also committed to increasing the volume of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people after 15 months of devastation in one of the bloodiest wars in recent world history.

Early this afternoon, Metsola met with her counterpart Amir Ohan, chairman of the Knesset (Israel’s single-chamber parliament), and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. After, she went to the Kerem Shalom border crossing (not far from the Egyptian border), where she witnessed the conduct of humanitarian assistance.

From there, she entered the Strip, the land that, along with the West Bank, is part of what are now occupied territories but should, in the future, constitute the State of Palestine. Strip where U.S. President Donald Trump has recently suggested conducting an ethnic cleansing operation to build there later the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Back in Israel, she was updated on the progress of the European civilian mission EUBAM, which operates at the Rafah Crossing along the border with Egypt. Another site Metsola visited was Re’im, which was hosting the festival Nova, raided by Hamas commandos during the attacks on October 7, 2023. A face-to-face meeting with Jewish State President Isaac Herzog is scheduled in Jerusalem tonight. No meeting is scheduled, however, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on whose head hangs, since last November, an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

Incredibly proud of the work our EUBAM Rafah station is doing in Gaza.

Grateful for their service. pic.twitter.com/Zj3zz522SC

– Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) February 13, 2025

Tomorrow, however, the chairwoman of the Europarliament will travel to Ramallah, where the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is headquartered, to meet with its leadership. There, she will meet with Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the executive committee of the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine (PLO), and Reem Al Hajajra, director of Women of the Sun, a Palestinian association working for women’s emancipation nominated for the 2024 editions of both the Sacharov and Nobel Peace prizes.

Metsola’s visit is part of the Strasbourg chamber’s ongoing efforts to promote peace and regional stability in the Middle East. These efforts include exchanges (physical or by telephone) with leaders and officials from several Arab countries (including Egypt and Jordan), the United States, Israelis, and Palestinians.

In a January 2024 resolution, the EU Parliament was the first EU institution to call for the release of all hostages from Israel, the dismantling of Hamas and the resumption of the peace process toward the building of two states between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, one Jewish and one Palestinian.