BRUSSELS: Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers attended a high-level EU meeting in Brussels, marking their first shared diplomatic space since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
However, the Palestinian Authority denied reports of any direct talks between the two sides.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is set to engage with EU officials, including top diplomat Kaja Kallas and Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Suica.
His office confirmed additional sideline meetings with other foreign ministers but did not specify if Palestinian representatives were involved.
The Palestinian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, focused on addressing Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and West Bank instability.
A PA statement rejected claims of planned discussions with Saar, emphasising Shahin’s speech would highlight “the suffering of the Palestinian people under the ongoing war of extermination and displacement in the Gaza Strip, the systematic starvation policy practised by the occupying state, and the financial blockade imposed on the Palestinian government.”
Shahin also planned meetings with EU officials to push for an immediate ceasefire, an end to Israeli military operations, and renewed peace negotiations.
The statement stressed demands to “halt the crimes of genocide, displacement and annexation” while urging compliance with international peace efforts. – AFP
