EU must do more over the crisis in the Middle East – Taoiseach

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The EU must do more to deal with the crisis in the Middle East, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

Mr Harris is in Brussels for a meeting of the European Council.

He said he would be discussing the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine with his fellow EU leaders.

The Taoiseach said: “The humanitarian impact of the conflict in Gaza and now Lebanon is alarming. The EU must do more.

“I have repeatedly said that all countries and organisations must use all levers at our disposal to bring about a ceasefire.

“I will continue my call, together with Prime Minister Sanchez of Spain, for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which has only become more pressing since the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in July on Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.”

Mr Harris said he would also engage with other member states with troops serving in Unifil in Lebanon to “ensure that our peacekeepers are fully protected”.

He said the EU needs to send a strong signal of support for Unifil.

He said: “The deliberate targeting by Israel of Unifil positions is against international law and cannot be tolerated.

“Following my visit to Kyiv last month, I also look forward to our discussion of Ukraine, which President Zelensky will join.

“Ukraine is looking into a bleak and difficult winter, and it is more important than ever that the EU continues to stand with it in every way we can.

“This includes a very important decision on providing low-cost loans to Ukraine of up to €45 billion guaranteed by the revenues of Russia’s immobilised assets.”

Mr Harris said migration would also be discussed at the meeting.

The Taoiseach said: “We need a secure and fair Europe with a migration system that recognises the benefits that legal migration brings to our societies and our economies, while also being equipped to deal with irregular migration, to combat the people-traffickers who put the lives of desperate people at risk, to secure our borders and to work with international partners to tackle the root causes that drive people from their homes.”