BARCELONA, (PIC)
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said that the Hamas Movement is not just a group of individuals, but rather an idea and an ideology that cannot be killed.
Borrell made his remarks in Barcelona during the eighth ministerial forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which started on Monday, and is being attended by representatives from around 40 nations to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and lay the groundwork for future peace.
“Hamas is more than just an organization … it is an idea, an ideology. And you cannot kill an idea unless you can prove that you have a better one,” Borrell said.
He affirmed that Israel has exceeded the limit of self-defense and must not think about reoccupying Gaza.
The EU official stressed the need for extending the humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and then turning it into a permanent truce while working on finding a political solution to the conflict.
He warned that the world would face what he described as “unprecedented waves of extremism and violence” if the war on Gaza was not stopped.
He underlined that without a Palestinian state, there would be “no peace or security for Israel.”
The EU foreign policy chief also said that he was “appalled” to learn that the Israeli government plans to allocate funds to build new illegal settlements. He called illegal settlements as “Israel’s greatest security liability” and a “grave breach of international law.”
In their speeches, the EU, Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers all stressed the need for a two-state solution.
“We must endeavor to overcome the current crisis and move towards a credible and serious plan for peace. There is no sustainable alternative to reviving the two-state solution,” Saudi foreign minister Faisal Al Saud, said, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League.
