The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has prompted Germany and the European Union to provide aid to the region, including food deliveries by air and boat [e31faf38]. Western leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have called for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza [e31faf38]. The EU is coordinating aid efforts through Cyprus, and Germany and the Netherlands have deployed troops in the region [e31faf38]. However, it is important to note that the majority of Palestinians do not necessarily want peace with Israel, despite the aid efforts [e31faf38]. Germany's actions in providing aid to Gaza are seen as an attempt to win favor with both Israel and Arab nations, positioning themselves as mediators for a potential two-state solution [e31faf38]. This aligns with Germany's historical desire to exert influence in the Middle East and assert control over Jerusalem [e31faf38].
The European Commission has taken note of Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement to open further humanitarian aid access points into Gaza, including the Ashdod port, the Erez crossing, and increased deliveries from Jordan [19a157b5]. The Commission is calling for swift and full implementation of these steps and emphasizes the need to protect innocent civilians and aid workers [19a157b5]. They are also urging all actors in the region to enable a significant surge in the in-flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza [19a157b5]. The European Commission will continue working with partners to increase aid deliveries via land, air, and sea routes, including the Maritime Corridor [19a157b5]. The European Union has increased its financial and humanitarian support to the people of Palestine and has launched 44 flights carrying almost 2,000 tonnes of aid as part of its EU Humanitarian Air Bridge operation [19a157b5].
In a new development, the European Union has imposed sanctions on five individuals and three entities in Israel for their involvement in human rights violations against Palestinians [ad5562fe]. The sanctioned individuals include the founder and leader of the Lahav organization, Ben-Zion Gopstein, and Issachar Mann, the founder of an unauthorized settlement site in the West Bank [ad5562fe]. The EU accuses the 'Tzav 9' group of regularly blocking humanitarian aid trucks to the Gaza Strip [ad5562fe]. The United States has previously sanctioned these individuals and the Tzav 9 group [ad5562fe]. The EU sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans [ad5562fe]. The EU's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime now includes 113 individuals and 31 entities from various countries [ad5562fe].
In addition to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, it has been revealed that the European Union has subsidized the forced return of Syrian refugees back to the regime of Bashar al-Assad [a8959839]. The EU-Lebanon deal, worth €1 billion, was intended to curb Syrian migration flows to Europe and facilitate the return of Syrians to 'safe areas' inside Syria [a8959839]. However, this has resulted in the Lebanese Government handing Syrians back to the Assad regime, despite its track record of deporting thousands of Syrians, including registered refugees, to Assad [a8959839]. Iraq has also begun its own deportation campaign, targeting registered refugees [a8959839]. This approach of deportation campaigns over increased migration flows is favored by Western powers and the EU, as it aligns with their pursuit of stabilizing their own countries while outsourcing destabilization abroad [a8959839]. This reveals a contradiction in Western states' public opposition to militias while quietly pursuing policies that rehabilitate the Assad regime and return Syrians to its territory [a8959839]. This highlights the complicity of Western powers in the Syrian conflict and challenges the notion of opposing Western imperialism [a8959839].