'Each civilian life matters' in MidEast: EU Council president

ANKARA

Each civilian life matters in the Middle East, the president of the EU Council said Tuesday.

"Each civilian life must be respected, … double standards must be avoided," Charles Michel told the EU parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg.

He deplored the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and highlighted the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA's importance for the region.

Since Jan. 26, many countries have suspended funding to the UNRWA after Israel alleged that some agency employees were involved in the Hamas attack of Oct. 7.

The agency said it terminated contracts with several employees following the Israeli allegations.

Michel also stressed the need to work toward peace between Israel and Palestine and the two-state solution in the region, adding that the EU "never hesitated" on that matter.

He noted that the escalation in the region, particularly around the Red Sea, is not only a security issue but also an economic one.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in which Tel Aviv says nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.

At least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed and 66,978 others injured in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Tuesday.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Support for Ukraine

Michel recalled that the EU member states agreed on an aid package worth €50 billion ($53.7 billion) to support Ukraine.

"Your decision was to not be intimidated (by Russia), and to be determined to support Ukraine as long as it is needed since we understand that supporting Ukraine is not only supporting the Ukrainian people but also our own security and prosperity," Michel explained.

President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who also took the floor, thanked the member states for their "unwavering support."

Farmers' protests across Europe

Von der Leyen announced the withdrawal of the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) on pesticides, which aimed "to reduce the risks of chemical plant protection products."

"But the SUR proposal has become a symbol of polarization. It has been rejected by the European Parliament. There is no progress anymore in the Council either. So we have to do something and that is why I will propose to the College to withdraw this proposal," she said.

The president of the EU Commission added that farmers who are now worried about their future, also "know that agriculture needs to move to a more sustainable model of production so that their farms remain profitable in the years to come."

She vowed a continuous dialogue between EU officials and agriculture representatives in the framework of the recently launched Strategic Dialogue on the future of agriculture in the European Union, whose report will be "tabled by late summer."

Charles Michel, for his part, admitted farmers' "key role" across the continent for security, food sovereignty, and climate transition.

He vowed that the EU officials will remain in dialogue with the farmers to solve their issues, including the bureaucratic burdens and the uncultivated lands.

Farmers started protesting in several European countries and claimed better wages, better bureaucratic processes, and a review of the EU regulations.