Geopolitical Europe Pulse: focus on Lebanon and Gaza
04 October 2024
Israel’s invasion of Southern Lebanon has arguably added a new level of escalation the situation in the Middle East, and fears of a regional war unfold even more after Iran attacked Israel with missiles in reaction to the killing of Hezbollah secretary general Nasrallah in a bombardment in Beirut. The region at Europe’s South is already facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the situation in Gaza and the region is likely to deteriorate. This week’s edition of the Geopolitical Europe Pulse brings you a compilation of articles on the European reaction and the implications of the future trajectory of the region for Europe.
Official statements: In his latest statement on the region, the EU’s High Representative Borrell found unusually clear words for Israel’s approach: “Certainly, they were targeting Hezbollah leaders, but obviously they also represent a violation of the sovereignty of an independent country. The high number of casualties cannot be forgotten. The issue of the right to self-defence of Israel, according with humanitarian law, and international humanitarian law has to be taken into consideration.” The latest G7 statement, issued on Thursday (2 October) evening, remains relatively vague and reflects a minimum consensus: it condemns Iran’s attacks on Israel, as well as the attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023, calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian assistance.
“Selective moralism” and “strategic blindness”: These terms are used to describe the European response to Gaza in the article “The EU’s Response to the Gaza War Is a Tale of Contradiction and Division”, in which the author presents the different positions of EU member states, criticises the lack of division in European leadership, and the lack of a plan for the day after.
No strategy at all? “The Middle East is on the brink of all-out war – so why is the EU still navel-gazing?”, asks Nathalie Tocci in her column in The Guardian. Some answers include: internal divisions, a lack of a strategy, ongoing arms sales to Israel and little appetite to change this.
Time to act: The EU’s toolbox includes several diplomatic, military and financial instruments the bloc could use to address the crisis. Especially as the “U.S. stance on the conflict and a combination of ideology and domestic political considerations is increasingly endangering European interests and stability”, time would be up to use it and to develop a truly European approach on the region, argues Rym Momtaz in this piece for Strategic Europe.