EU scrambles to avoid being sidelined from the Gaza peace plan

Brussels – The European Union has been the major absentee from the outset; on one side, there was the United States, on the other, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt. The European Union has watched helplessly for two years the atrocious conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, limiting itself to making vain appeals to respect international law and trying to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Now that a 20-point plan drawn up by Donald Trump is taking hold, Brussels is scrambling to play its part. 

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, has no doubts: “We are the biggest donor to Palestine in terms of humanitarian aid, but also to the Palestinian Authority. Therefore, I believe that given our contribution, we should be present at the negotiating table to discuss,” she said yesterday (October 9) in Paris, where President Emmanuel Macron brought together the foreign ministers of several European and Arab countries to discuss the implementation of Trump’s plan. At the table, in addition to the European Commission represented by Kallas, were the ‘E4’ (France, Germany, the UK, and Italy) and five of the Arab League (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt). Then there were Spain, Canada, Turkey, and Indonesia.

The summit, planned after the presentation of the plan by Trump and Netanyahu, took on a new sense of urgency after Hamas and the Israeli security cabinet agreed to the ceasefire, the release of the hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line. “This first phase of the Gaza deal is a major step towards peace. Of course, we need to plan for the day after, and that is what we are here for. Any plan to function also needs international backing,” said the head of European diplomacy.

 The first message is one of unity in supporting Trump’s plan. However, on its implementation, doubts remain, as do fears of being sidelined. “The EU has an important role to play in terms of implementation,” the European Commission reiterated today. 

The Palais Elysée insists that the future of the Strip is not left solely in the hands of Donald Trump: “We all have a role to play in the Stabilisation Force” that will be tasked with ensuring peace and in the governance of the Transitional Authority, Macron said. According to the Elysée, the process must be framed within the context of the United Nations. France and the United Kingdom are pushing for the UN to guarantee the timing and rules of engagement of an international military presence in Gaza. After that, doubts about the “Peace Council” envisioned by Trump and Tony Blair, which would temporarily administer the Strip and include other heads of state “yet to be announced,” will have to be unraveled. 

From a military point of view as well, the European Union “is ready to play its part” by redeploying the EUBAM Rafah mission at the Rafah border crossing and renewing the mandate of the EUPOL COPPS mission, which aims to train and support the Palestinian police force, so that it can “also help the Stabilisation Force.”