EU’s top diplomat makes visit to Israel amid tensions

Arriving in Jerusalem another top diplomat makes visit to Israel, on Monday, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas met both Israeli and Palestinian officials, as well as the families of Israeli hostages, but she was not allowed to meet any of the dead families of Gazans.

The stakes were high and the timing could not be more critical. Tensions in the region have surged since Kallas’ last meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Brussels back in February, making her message all the more urgent.

At a press conference in Jerusalem, Kallas stressed that “resuming negotiations is the only way to put an end to the suffering on both sides.”

The visit coincided with Israel’s ongoing military escalation in Gaza, where strikes on Hamas targets have intensified in the past week. A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which came into force on January 19, lasted just under two months.

Kallas warned that “violence feeds more violence,” underscoring the growing uncertainty faced by hostages and their families.

“We are witnessing a dangerous escalation,” she said. “It is causing unbearable uncertainty for the hostages and their families and is likewise causing horror and death for the Palestinian people.”

‘There has to be a better way’

The former prime minister of Estonia became the EU’s top diplomat in December 2024, stepping into the role at a time of great tension. James Moran, associate senior fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, told EU News that she had a difficult “heritage” to manage, referring particularly to the bloc’s relationship with Israel.

The Israeli government was irked by Kallas’ predecessor Josep Borrell’s outspoken criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and was hoping for a fresh start.

EU is particularly divided with regard to Israel

The EU is particularly divided with regard to Israel. Austria, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic have been more inclined to support Israel unconditionally, while Ireland, Belgium and Spain, Borrell’s homeland, have expressed frustration and anger about its actions in Gaza.

This rift has hindered the EU’s influence in the region. “You need to bring the member states with you. Divisions are still very deep and difficult to negotiate,” explained Moran.

He said that while Kallas’ visit might signal a strengthening of EU-Israel relations in future, the EU was far from playing a key role. It is “not going to be at the forefront of facilitating ceasefires or peace processes anytime soon,” he added, explaining that the EU had lost the position it once held as a neutral broker.

“The EU has often cited the importance of international rules-based order but has made exceptions for Israel,” Moran said, commenting that this approach had strained relations with many other countries in the Middle East. “Regaining credibility as a political player in the region will take time,” he warned.

A devastating death toll

Despite handshakes and niceties exchanged during Kallas’ visit, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made it clear that Israel expects more support from the EU.

He described Israel’s actions against Hamas as “fighting the war of the free world,” asserting that eradicating terror and extremism in the Middle East would ultimately make Europe safer as well. “Together with the USA, we must ally ourselves against the axis of evil,” he declared.

Israel launched its latest military campaign against Hamas after the Palestinian militant group, which is designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the US, the EU and others, waged an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, including Israeli civilians and soldiers, and foreign nationals, died, according to Israeli figures. Some 250 people were taken hostage.

This has been the deadliest attack in Gaza for many years, over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have since been killed by Israeli strikes and a further 5000 death in the West bank, killed by the IDF and illegal Israeli settlers.

Voluntary departure of Palestinians from Gaza

As fears of further escalation mount, many are bracing for what’s next. According to a report in the US daily The Wall Street Journal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning a large-scale ground offensive in Gaza.

Israel has also announced the establishment of a new authority to oversee the “voluntary” departure of Palestinians from Gaza — a move that has drawn criticism both within Israel and internationally.

On Sunday, protesters at anti-government rallies in Israel held up signs against the war in the Gaza Strip and called for hostages held there to be freed.

“One thing seems clear,” said Moran, “no durable peace is possible with the current Israeli government in power,” arguing that Israel needs a leadership that viewed peace as integral to its security, as well as that of the whole region.

“This continual cycle of violence cannot continue,” he added. “There has to be a better way.”