‘Whole Middle East is on verge of complete conflagration’: EU foreign policy chief

By Merve Berker

The EU foreign policy chief on Monday warned that the whole Middle East is on the “verge of a complete conflagration that the international community looks unable to control.”

On the first anniversary of the ongoing genocide in Gaza by Israel, Josep Borrell said: “The situation is only getting worse.”

“The people in the region are more insecure than ever and are caught in an unending cycle of violence, hatred, and revenge,” Borrell said.

He said the EU “deplores and rejects” the escalating violence in the Middle East, including Hezbollah's rocket launches, Israeli bombardments in Lebanon, the displacement of over a million Lebanese and 60,000 Israelis, increased tensions from Iranian missile attacks, and the “worrying” developments in the West Bank.

Underlining that the military operations and the use of arms between sides will not “bring a future to the people of Israel and Palestine,” Borrell said: “Only a political solution will bring peace, security and prosperity.”

The EU has been collaborating “with its Arab partners” to promote and implement the two-state solution, he said, adding that two weeks ago in New York, the EU rallied a “huge number of UN members behind that political solution.”

The bloc believes an immediate cease-fire is “the only way” for securing the release of hostages and de-escalating the “dangerous” situation, which poses a global threat, and continues to work with partners towards this goal, he emphasized.

“The EU will continue to work tirelessly to pave the way for diplomacy on various fronts,” Borrell said, adding that the “essential” steps include initiating Lebanon's presidential election process, deploying the Lebanese Army in the south, strengthening UN Interim Force in Lebanon mandate, and organizing a humanitarian conference.

“The time for the ceasefire is now,” he said and warned: “Tomorrow might be too late.”
“The October 7 anniversary only reinforces the EU efforts on the need to achieve that regional ceasefire,” he added.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7.

In the year since nearly 42,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 97,300 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.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

Although international organizations, including the UN, and regional countries urge for a cease-fire in Gaza, the conflict has sparked increased regional tensions across the Middle East, with the latest escalation when Israel attacked Lebanon.