Von der Leyen defends a Gaza without Hamas and free of the blockade and the Israeli military presence

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, defended this Monday that the solution to the conflict in the Gaza Strip requires that Hamas disappear from the enclave, that it does not control or govern it, and that, for its part, Israel commit to lifting the blockade and avoid a long-term military presence.

Within the framework of the annual conference of EU ambassadors, the head of the community Executive has indicated that Europe has to make the effort to think about the future of the region with the implementation of the two-state solution. "First, Gaza cannot be a haven for terrorists," she said, ensuring that Hamas must be prevented from remaining in the Strip and preparing for new conflicts.

In this sense, he has advocated for the option of establishing international peace forces with a United Nations mandate, as international actors have debated after the unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7, defending that the Islamic organization "cannot control or govern Gaza" and there must be "a single Palestinian Authority and a Palestinian State.

Regarding Israel's role, the German conservative has stated that Gaza must be free of an Israeli security presence in the long term, insisting that this enclave is an "essential part" of the future State of Palestine.

Likewise, he has rejected the possibility of a forced displacement of the population of the Strip and has indicated that there cannot be a "sustained blockade" against Gaza. "This policy has not worked. Hamas has continued to collect arsenals and Gaza's economy has collapsed," he noted, regarding the land, air and maritime blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt since the group took control of the territory in 2007. .

Regarding the progress of the Israeli offensive against Hamas, the community president has stressed that "everything possible must be done to protect civilians who are in danger" and has stressed that, at the same time we must support Israel in its legitimate defense , "it is essential that it strive to avoid civilian casualties and to be as selective as possible" in its attacks in the Strip.

"Supporting Israel is essential. Helping civilians in Gaza is also essential. The humanitarian situation is terrible. The death toll and suffering of Palestinian civilians is tragic and as policymakers we face a terrible dilemma," he acknowledged. .

In this sense, Von der Leyen has stressed that "every human life matters, whether Israeli or Palestinian" and this defense is "fundamental" for the work, defending maximizing contacts with the countries of the Middle East to ensure that there is no regional escalation of the conflict.

Thus, he stressed that the work of normalization between Israel and its neighbors "can and must continue." "This approach is not only historic, but also brings economic prosperity to the region," she claimed.