The Tánaiste will attend an EU summit on Palestine with Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority also due to take part this afternoon.
The first meeting of the EU-Palestine High-Level Political Dialogue taking place is being seen as a major opportunity to raise the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
“We are continuing to witness absolutely appalling and heartbreaking scenes in Gaza”, said Tánaiste Simon Harris speaking ahead of the meeting.
“We need an urgent end to hostilities and a massive scale-up of humanitarian aid. We need all parties to return to talks aimed at implementing the second phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal. It is also critical that we remain focused on the situation in the West Bank and on the need for a political pathway that can deliver lasting peace.”
Arriving in Luxembourg for the meeting earlier, the EU’s Crisis and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, said food has been left to rot because it has been impossible to get humanitarian aid into Gaza for weeks.
“All hostages must be released and lifesaving aid must start flowing into Gaza. For over one month now no aid, no suppl[ies], no electricity, no[t] a crust of bread has entered Gaza.
Access is completely blocked by Israel. Food is running out while warehouses outside Gaza are full with food is rotting there because we can’t get in”, she said.
The situation in the West Bank is also serious.
“Displacement and violence is becoming a norm”, she warned.
Commenting on the first ever EU-Palestine High Level Dialogue, the Tánaiste said the meeting would send a message to Palestine that Europe cares.
“This is a signal of the importance the EU and its Member States attach to the relationship with Palestine at a time of extreme difficulty for the Palestinian people.
I will emphasise the importance of EU support to Palestine and the need to deliver a two State solution.”
The Council of the European Union said the first ever meeting of the EU-Palestine High-Level Political Dialogue will discuss “political matters and bilateral relations.”
The EU and Palestinian Authority are expected to discuss the conflict in Gaza, the unfolding situation in the West Bank and broader Israel-Palestinian relations.
The meeting will be co-chaired by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa.