European Council President Charles Michel (C) prepares to talk with the media after the first day’s meeting of European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)
BRUSSELS | Xinhua | More than two months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, violence in the Middle East has no end in sight and Europe as a neighbor is still struggling to unify around a call for ceasefire in Gaza.
The European Union (EU) summit ended December 15 without a much-expected tougher stance on the conflict or a call for immediate ceasefire, though 17 out of all its 27 members had voted for a resolution calling for a ceasefire at the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday. In October, only eight members voted for a UN resolution advocating for a truce.
Despite Europe’s strong will to intercede, the conflict has torn apart the bloc itself, revealing some of its profound political, social and economic divides and triggering grave concerns among the public.