EU’s top diplomat to visit Israel to raise questions after Gaza returns to war

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas commented on the resumption of the war in Gaza on Sunday where, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the death toll has now passed 50,000. 

“I think it’s very important that the hostilities will stop and the people’s lives are saved and spared,” she said, and added that the EU will use “the tools that are in our hands.” 

Kallas said she would visit Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on the unravellling of the ceasefire.

Kallas was speaking in Cairo where she was attending a meeting of the Arab-Islamic Committee on Gaza, with representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

During a joint press conference, Kallas also stated that Gaza’s future government was also an important question, with the EU’s position being “that Hamas should have no role.” 

Her comments come as Israeli forces advance deeper into the Gaza Strip – putting an end to a two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which began in January.  

The two sides were supposed to begin negotiations in early February on the next phase of the truce, in which Hamas was to release remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and a lasting ceasefire.