BERLIN

EU member states are discussing ways to influence Israel toward a ceasefire in Gaza, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said late Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after a series of meetings with European leaders in Brussels that lasted over 16 hours, Merz said EU countries are concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

“We discussed very intensively various possibilities of how we, together with the Americans, can now influence Israel to bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The European Council has a very clear position on this in the final document,” Merz said.

“No one has disputed that we now want to move in this direction. We reached this decision by consensus. The European Council, therefore, has a clear position on Israel,” he added.

In the conclusions of the EU summit released on Thursday night, European leaders deplored the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.

They also urged Israel to “fully comply” with its obligations under international law, and ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, as well as civilian infrastructure – including hospitals, schools, and UN facilities.

However, despite calls by Spain and Ireland to suspend the EU's trade deal with Israel due to its breach of human rights obligations in the occupied Palestinian territories, the proposal failed to gain unanimous support from all leaders.

Since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in 2023, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed, and over 100,000 others wounded, most of them women and children.

Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza, where at least 1.9 million Palestinians remain displaced and face severe shortages of food, medical supplies, and other essentials.