The bloc wants to cooperate with Egypt to prevent a refugee exodus amid the escalation in Gaza, Charles Michel has said
European Council President Charles Michel addresses a press conference at the EU headquarters in Brussels on October 17, 2023. © JOHN THYS / AFP
The violent conflict between Palestinian militant groups and Israel spells serious danger for the EU as it could trigger a new refugee influx, European Council President Charles Michel has warned.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Michel pointed out that the example of Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza and has to deal with “millions of refugees,” shows that “the situation can have… very serious consequences for this country and it can have direct consequences for us in Europe.”
With this in mind, the official continued, it is crucial that the EU engages with Egypt to establish a broad partnership on migration to facilitate access to Gaza. At the same time, he noted that Cairo has signaled that it does not want to open borders with the Palestinian enclave, adding that the border crossing area has been the target of frequent attacks.
“Egypt also sees it as a threat to maintaining the possibility of a two-state solution,” he said, referring to a concept that envisages the coexistence of the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.
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Michel also stressed that the recent escalation in the region has sent shockwaves across the world, fomenting polarization among different groups. Against this backdrop, he called on EU leaders to cooperate in a bid to defuse tensions by fighting against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia alike.
Fears of a new refugee exodus from the Middle East to the EU were fueled when the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in hundreds of dead and injured.
As the Israeli military pushed back, it ordered 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to immediately leave their homes. This ultimatum was criticized by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who pointed out that travelling through a warzone “to a place with no food, water, or accommodation… is extremely dangerous – and in some cases, simply not possible.”
Amid the hostilities, Israel has also announced a “complete siege” of Gaza, cutting of its access to food, water and electricity. Meanwhile, Egypt is still keeping the Rafah crossing, its only land corridor with Gaza, closed, with the Times of Israel reporting on Monday that the country is nevertheless bracing for a massive influx of refugees.
