EU welcomes hostage exchange, says will restart Gaza-Egypt border monitoring mission

BRUSSELS — The European Union welcomed the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas on Monday and said it would restart a civilian mission to monitor the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in support of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal.

"The EU stands ready to do its part," the bloc's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, posted on X after Hamas released a first group of Israeli hostages as part of the agreement. "This mission can play an important role in supporting the cease-fire," she said.

The 27-nation bloc set up a civilian mission in 2005 to help monitor the Rafah crossing, but it was suspended two years later after Hamas won the 2007 elections.

The EUBAM monitoring mission aims to provide a neutral, third-party presence at the key crossing and involves police from Italy, Spain and France. It was briefly redeployed in January but suspended again in March.

In a separate statement, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday's Gaza summit in Sharm al-Sheikh finalizing the agreement to end the war would be "a historical milestone."

"We stand ready to contribute to its success with all tools at our disposal," the head of the European executive said, including by "providing support on governance and for the reform of the Palestinian Authority."

The peace plan for Gaza is to be signed at the summit, citing, notably, the mobilization of European funds for the reconstruction of the territory. The bloc "fully supports the peace plan brokered by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye," von der Leyen wrote.

The EU is represented in Sharm el-Sheikh by Antonio Costa, who heads the European Council of the bloc's member states.

'Significant international support'

Europeans, deeply divided since Israel launched its war against Gaza following Hamas' attack on southern Israel, now hope to regain a leading role in implementing the plan for Gaza.

"Ensuring peace in Gaza will be extraordinarily complex," Kallas said. "The peace plan requires significant international support to succeed," she stressed, and Europe wants to contribute fully to it.

The EU has long supported the implementation of the two-state solution, Israeli and Palestinian, as the only way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, according to constant statements from the 27 member states. But to achieve that, the Palestinian Authority, currently very weakened, must first regain its full credibility.

The EU, which provides significant support for humanitarian organizations supporting Palestinians, also intends to contribute to Gaza's reconstruction. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Brussels has provided more than 550 million euros to support Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and under constant Israeli bombardment in Gaza.