In the context of these efforts to calm the situation, Al Arabiya/Al Hadt reported on Tuesday that an Egyptian security delegation will arrive in Tel Aviv within the next 24 hours to advance ceasefire initiatives.
Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Tuesday to discuss how to leverage the political influence of the 27-member bloc to assist diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the fighting between the Israeli army and armed factions in Gaza. Peter Stano, spokesperson for the European Commission, stated that today’s meeting aims to identify “the best ways the EU can contribute to de-escalating tensions and halting the ongoing violence.”
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, emphasized that the priority is to stop the violence and prevent further loss of life. He mentioned in a tweet that “long-term initiatives are needed to break the cycle of violence.” However, no firm decisions are expected to emerge from the virtual meeting of foreign ministers that involve threats of sanctions or similar measures.
It is noteworthy that the European Union is the largest donor of aid to the Palestinians, but it does not have leverage over Israel or Hamas.
Continuous Bombardment
This comes as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue for the second week today, while Hamas and the Islamic Jihad continue to launch rockets toward Israeli cities. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the latest casualty figures indicate that at least 212 Palestinians have died, including 61 children and 36 women, with over 1,400 people injured. Meanwhile, ten people have been killed in Israel, including a five-year-old child and a soldier, due to the ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza. Israel has launched a wave of airstrikes on what it claims are militant targets in Gaza, resulting in the destruction of a six-story building in downtown Gaza, while Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets toward Israel early Tuesday morning.
