Muscat: The 27th EU-GCC Joint Ministerial Council session kicked off in Muscat on Tuesday, which was presided over by Sayyid Badr al Busaidi, the Foreign Minister who addressed the disturbing developments in Palestine and Israel over the past few days.
He called for restraint, an immediate ceasefire, the release of prisoners from all sides, and adherence to international humanitarian laws regarding the Palestinian-Israeli issue.
Joseph Borrel, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, in his statement, said, "Though we have met many times already, now we meet in the middle of a terrible crisis. These have been tragic moments in the history of the Middle East. What has been unfolding since Saturday morning is shocking, for the suffering that this attack is causing to innocent civilians, and the tragic impact it will have on the possibility for two peoples to live side by side in peace and security."
He added, "I spoke to the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh to ask the Palestinian Authority to contribute to immediate cessation of hostilities and promote the interest of the Palestinian people and the aspiration of the whole region to security and stability."
The priority now is to stop the aggression, cease violence immediately, and de-escalate, which is of utmost importance to ensure the protection of civilians, as well as the release of all hostages.
• Over 900 Israelis and over 680 Palestinians have been killed, in addition to thousands of injured on both sides.
• The scale of the aggression took everyone by surprise, even though we were always aware, and vocal about the fact that moving forward without peace or any political horizon was not sustainable.
"The EU still believes that the way forward remains the two-state solution and we are keen to work with our key partners to that end and build on what we started in New York last month."
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