European Leaders Call for 'Sustainable Ceasefire' in Gaza; Israel: Determined to Control Rafah

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated on Thursday, March 22, that European leaders will demand a 'sustainable ceasefire' in Gaza during their meeting in Brussels. He noted that they will also call for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and express their 'serious concern' over the 'unacceptable' conditions faced by the people in Gaza. Borrell urged Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, stating, 'They (civilians) are dying of hunger,' and expressed hope that Europe would send a 'strong message' to Israel to end the blockade and allow food into Gaza while protecting civilians. He added, 'Israel certainly has the right to defend itself, but not the right to take revenge.' Meanwhile, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer stated that Israel is determined to control Rafah despite potential disagreements with the United States. He mentioned that currently, one-fourth of Hamas militants are based in Rafah as the group's last stronghold. Dermer emphasized that Israel would fight for victory even if it had to do so alone, stating that not attacking Hamas in Rafah would lead to cross-border attacks on Israel. Following Hamas's terrorist attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of over 250 others, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza aimed at destroying this Iran-backed Islamist group. This offensive has displaced the majority of Gaza's 2.3 million population, who urgently need food and other essentials. Despite the devastating consequences of Hamas's attack on Israel, officials from the Iran-backed group have repeatedly stated that they would carry out similar attacks if possible. Hamas claims that approximately 32,000 Palestinians have been killed and about 73,000 others injured due to the Israeli offensive, although the Voice of America Persian section cannot independently verify these figures. Meanwhile, Israel has repeatedly asserted that Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields. The United States, the UK, the EU, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.