European Council President Charles Michel announced today, Saturday, that he has called for a virtual summit of EU leaders on Tuesday to discuss the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Michel stated that the bloc expresses "full solidarity with the people of Israel following the brutal terrorist attacks that occurred a week ago."
In his invitation to EU leaders, Michel mentioned that "Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international law." He added that "the blockade of Gaza is ringing alarm bells in the international community, which prompted him to call for a virtual meeting on Tuesday at 17:30 Central European Time (15:30 GMT)."
He emphasized the importance of the European Council determining, in line with treaties and our values, a common stance and outlining a clear unified course of action that reflects the complexity of the current situation. Michel believes that the EU "must be a defender of peace and respect for international law and should seek to avoid escalation in the region." He noted that "the conflict could fuel extremism in EU societies and may lead to significant migration and movement of people to neighboring countries."
