EU Foreign Ministers Meet to Discuss Next Steps Regarding Middle East Crisis

EU foreign ministers are set to meet on Monday to discuss next steps in response to the Middle East crisis, including 'financial sanctions against Hamas' and 'travel bans for Israeli settlers' responsible for violence in the West Bank. According to Reuters, the foreign ministers of the 27 member countries of this European bloc will also be briefed on the remarks of Dmytro Kuleba, his Ukrainian counterpart, to discuss future security assistance to Kyiv. Meanwhile, while EU officials insist that aid to Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion remains the top priority, the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas has forced the bloc to refocus on the Middle East. This conflict has revealed long-standing and deep divisions regarding the broader and enduring Israeli-Palestinian dispute among European countries, yet EU foreign ministers will attempt to find 'common grounds.' According to Reuters, they will review these common grounds, as outlined in a report by the EU's diplomatic service, to determine a wide range of 'next steps' for the EU in this regard. Hamas has previously been listed as a terrorist organization by the EU, meaning any assets or funds it has within the EU must be frozen. The EU announced on Friday that it had added Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas's military wing, and Marwan Issa, his deputy, to its list of sanctioned terrorists. On the other hand, senior EU officials like Josep Borrell, the foreign policy chief, have also expressed concern over the rising violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. Diplomats say achieving the necessary consensus for EU sanctions against Israeli settlers is difficult, as countries like Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are staunch allies of Israel. U.S. President Joe Biden and other senior American officials have repeatedly stated that Israel must act to stop the violence of Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. The sixtieth day of war in Gaza continues with bombings; five Palestinians were killed in the West Bank. Borrell: The Security Council must act to prevent a 'complete humanitarian collapse' in Gaza. France has sanctioned Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza. Individuals involved in undermining peace, security, or stability in the West Bank will be barred from entering the U.S. Netanyahu's response to Biden's note: The Palestinian Authority is incapable of managing Gaza.