EU ministers discuss middle east crisis amid war in Ukraine

• EU Foreign Ministers discussed middle east crisis.
• Ukraine aid remains top priority, but EU attention shifts to Mideast conflict.
• France and Belgium announce their own restrictions on settlers.

On Monday, the foreign ministers of the European Union deliberated over potential measures to address the crisis in the Middle East.

These measures included a financial crackdown on Hamas and travel restrictions for Israeli settlers who are accountable for the violence in the West Bank.

Future security aid to Kyiv will be discussed by ministers from the 27 member countries of the union at a conference in Brussels, where they will also hear from their Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba.

EU officials maintain that their first priority is still aiding Ukraine in repelling Russia’s invasion, but the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Hamas has compelled the bloc to shift its attention back to the Middle East.

Deep-seated and long-standing differences among EU nations over the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been made clear by the war.

However, as they examine a discussion paper outlining a wide range of potential next moves from the EU’s diplomatic service, the ministers will attempt to establish common ground.

Since Hamas is already on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations, any money or property it owns there should be confiscated.

The commander of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, and his deputy, Marwan Issa, were placed to the European Union’s sanctioned terrorist list on Friday.

The discussion paper makes the suggestion that the EU take more action by focusing on the finances and disinformation of Hamas.

France and Germany, among other EU members, have stated that they are already collaborating to push these measures.

Concern over the increasing violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has also been voiced by high ranking EU officials, including Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell.

According to the study, the EU might respond by forbidding those guilty from entering the EU and imposing other penalties for violating human rights.

The EU should take such measures into consideration, France stated last month. Furthermore, “extremist settlers in the West Bank” will not be permitted entry into Belgium, according to remarks made by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo last week.

Diplomats predicted that since nations like Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are ardent supporters of Israel, it would be difficult to secure the consensus required for EU-wide prohibitions.

However, others contended that the United States, Israel’s principal ally, may have inspired other EU nations to follow suit by beginning to suspend visas for anyone implicated in violence in the West Bank last week.

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