Live: Israel and Hamas at war

Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte believes a call for EU countries to intervene in the war between Israel and Hamas to provide emergency aid could make a difference. According to him, Israel’s most important allies, the European Union and the United States, are now pushing for this together. Israel also has an interest in maintaining support.

At a summit in Brussels on Thursday evening, Rutte and his fellow government leaders called for a ‘humanitarian pause’ in the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. “I think it’s important,” Rutte said of the hard-won deal. The collective weight of Europe, America ‘and countries in the region’ counts, he thinks. And, according to him, Israel is also being called upon to ‘provide critical aid to ordinary Gazans’.

For example, Rutte said it ‘remains to be seen in the coming days’ whether aid delivery to Gaza will be improved now. According to him, all diplomatic efforts are now focused on it.

Member states such as Germany were wary of compromising Israel’s right against Hamas. Armistice petitions from Spain failed. “It actually means you’re telling Israel: You’re not allowed to defend yourself,” Rutte said.

Before the start of the summit, the outgoing prime minister insisted on accessing large-scale aid ‘immediately’, but leaders called it ‘quick’. Rutte wanted to ask Israel for ‘restraint’, but that too was not put into so many words by the leaders. They stress that citizens must be protected at all times.