UPDATE 2 - EU foreign policy chief says peace in Mediterranean 'on edge'

UPDATES WITH CLOSING REMARKS FROM EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - The EU foreign policy chief on Monday stressed his serious concerns over the deteriorating peace in the Mediterranean, describing the situation as being "on edge."

"The Mediterranean is on the edge and we know the dire situation," Josep Borrell told the bloc's ninth ministerial forum, Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in Barcelona, Spain.

The forum aims to discuss various issues regarding the Mediterranean region and the latest situation in the Middle East, including Gaza and Lebanon, according to an official statement.

Borrell reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to its “southern neighborhood,” saying that “it has always been one of the main points of focus for the European Union.”

He highlighted the worsening conflicts in Lebanon and the West Bank, where he said “lethal violence” has escalated, with “secular retaliatory attacks engulfing the entire region.”

He condemned “repeated violations of the status quo” at religious sites in Jerusalem and warned of the “war expanding to Lebanon."

Stressing the need for stability, he called for an “immediate cease-fire across the Blue Line,” underscoring the roles of the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL peacekeepers in upholding peace.

Borrell also expressed grave concern for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling it the “most acute humanitarian crisis since World War II.”

He emphasized the necessity of more decisive action, insisting: “We should go out of this meeting with a stronger commitment to put pressure in order to stop this dramatic situation.”

Borrell also underscored the importance of implementing a two-state solution, noting that during the recent UN General Assembly, the EU launched the “Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution.”

He reminded that Israel’s weekend “retaliatory attack” against Iran occurred “amid severe and growing regional tensions.”

“It is crucial to use all our channels of communication to lower these tensions and contribute to de-escalation," he added.

- Netanyahu government 'outstripped red lines'

In the closing press conference, Borrell expressed his disappointment at the ongoing conflict and humanitarian catastrophe, saying that 2 million Gazans, over 90% of whom face severe food shortages, are trapped in "worsening conditions without sufficient international support or observation."

He condemned the impact of Israel's military actions on civilians and reiterated the need for proportionality.

“Saying there have been attacks without naming the perpetrators” falls short of genuine accountability, the EU foreign policy chief said.

Calling on Benjamin Netanyahu's government to halt its offensive in Gaza, Borrell said he has “outstripped the red lines” with its impacts on civilian life and infrastructure.

"We all agree that there needs to be a process in which we create a state for Palestine," he added.

The Union for the Mediterranean, an intergovernmental organization of 43 member states, was founded 15 years ago in the wake of the Oslo Accords in the spirit of shared peace and prosperity for the Mediterranean region.