The European Union expressed deep concern on Monday regarding the situation in the West Bank during a meeting between its officials and Israel’s Foreign Minister in Brussels.
According to AFP, EU Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, emphasized that the EU “is closely monitoring the situation and cannot hide its concern over what is happening in the West Bank.”
This statement comes following Israel’s announcement on Sunday that approximately 40,000 Palestinians from three refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank were expelled, with a ban on their return, as part of a large-scale military operation being carried out by the Israeli occupation army for the past month.
This Israeli aggression comes at a time when the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip appears to be extremely fragile. The first phase, which began on January 19, is set to conclude on March 1 after 15 months of aggression. However, negotiations to extend the ceasefire have yet to begin.
During a press conference, Kallas emphasized that “the ceasefire represents a real opportunity to break the cycle of violence, and it is crucial to transition to the second phase.”
The second phase aims to bring a complete end to the war. However, it faces opposition from far-right Zionist allies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the ceasefire threatens the survival of his government.