By Merve Berker
ANKARA (AA) – European leaders on Monday marked the first anniversary of the ongoing genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces, calling for a cease-fire and the release of hostages.
“We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for the unconditional release of all hostages, and an end to the conflict,” the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
“We support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement,” she stressed.
“One year on, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is appalling,” she said, adding that the EU “will keep doing its utmost to mobilize financial assistance and facilitate deliveries and distribution of humanitarian aid, to the Palestinian people, and now also in Lebanon.”
She called on all parties in the region to “act responsibly, with restraint, and engage to de-escalate the current tensions.”
“We will work in support of all efforts to set the conditions for a durable peace, leading to a two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine coexist side-by-side in peace, with security for both,” she said, describing it as “the only viable path forward, to finally end the suffering.”
Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said on X that a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages is of “utmost urgency.”
“So are efforts to protect lives on the ground and de-escalate,” he emphasized, adding that the continent “stands firmly for peace, and for upholding international law & international humanitarian law worldwide,” Michel added.
- ‘Two-state solution of living side by side’
Spain has expressed solidarity “towards the families of the hostages who are still being held captive and demands their immediate release."
“To cease-fire, the release of the hostages, humanitarian access to civilians, and an end to the violence are necessary,” the Spanish government said in a statement stressed, reiterating Madrid’s “determination to combat anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination.”
“The Government vows to continue to work towards peace in the Middle East and to advance in the implementation of the two-state solution of living side by side, in peace and security, which is the best guarantee of stability for everyone in the region,” it added.
Furthermore, Spanish President Pedro Sanchez paid tribute to all the victims who lost their lives in the war.
Those attacks “triggered a spiral of violence” that has led to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and now Lebanon, Sanchez said on X, describing the ongoing situation in the region as “unbearable.”
“The war must end now,” he urged, adding that his country will continue to work tirelessly for peace.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also said that collective grief has not diminished or waned a year on.
“I stand firm in our commitment to bring the hostages home, and we will not give up until they are returned,” Starmer said in a statement. “We must never look the other way in the face of hate,” he added.
“We must also not look the other way as civilians bear the ongoing dire consequences of this conflict in the Middle East,” he underlined.
Starmer reiterated his call for immediate cease-fires in Gaza and Lebanon and the removal of all restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“We will not falter in our pursuit of peace and on this day of pain and sorrow, we honour those we lost and continue in our determination to return those still held hostage, help those who are suffering, and secure a better future for the Middle East,” he added.
Germany, a staunch ally of Tel Aviv, reiterated its support for Israel’s security and its military offensives against Hamas and Hezbollah.
“We stand by your side. Your security is part of Germany's reason of state,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in an op-ed for Bild newspaper.
“Israel has a right to self-defense. Against the violence of Hamas, as well as against the rocket terror of Iran and Hezbollah,” she added.
-‘Too many civilians lost their lives’
Separately, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on X that since the attack by Hamas last October, “Israelis are traumatised by the slaughter, torture and sexual violence of 7 October, hostages are still held captive, Palestinians in Gaza are facing starvation & disease, Too many civilians have lost their lives.”
“This has to stop!” it underlined.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said on X that there is a risk of escalation in the Middle East.
“The hostages must be released and access to humanitarian aid ensured. An immediate ceasefire is needed,” he said, adding that in the longer term, the conflict must be resolved in a sustainable manner.
“International law holds the key to a solution that would keep both Palestinians and Israelis safe,” he stated, adding: “We must find a solution. There are no more excuses.”
“Is it not possible to view this anniversary in isolation from the justifiable outrage at the death and destruction suffered by ordinary Palestinians in Gaza over the past twelve months,” Stubb said.
Michael Martin, Irish foreign minister, further said in a statement.
“Ireland’s position is clear and on the record,” he said. “The violence must stop.”
Calling for an immediate cease-fire and a deal for the release of hostages, he underlined the need for “a massive scaling up of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
Touching on the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, Martin said: “Our thoughts are with the Lebanese people. The level of death, destruction and displacement is shocking and unacceptable.”
“We must act quickly to avoid further regional escalation and urgently revive a political process,” he urged.
“The most effective rejection of terrorism and extremism and the greatest mark of respect to all who have suffered in this conflict is to redouble our efforts now to secure a lasting peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples,” the foreign minister said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF, and Amnesty International also called for a cease-fire while remembering all the lives lost in the last year in Gaza.
The ICRC reiterated "its calls for the protection of the civilian population, for access to all Palestinian detainees, and for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the baseline principle that civilians must be protected" as well as the pledge given by the UN Human Rights "to continue to advocate for the rights to peace, security and justice, and for accountability for all victims."
Amnesty International said that Oct. 7 "marks the start of the Israeli forces’ onslaught in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and triggered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe."
"Children are not targets. They need a ceasefire now,” UNICEF said on X.
The rocket fire came as Israel continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
Nearly 42,000 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 97,100 others injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.
Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
*Ayhan Simsek contributed to this report from Berlin