Subscribe here: [ Ссылка ] The surprise Hamas attack on October 7 on Israel and the subsequent devastating military response from Israel has plunged the Middle East into fresh turmoil.

EU foreign ministers on Monday pressed Israel on an eventual two-state solution with the Palestinians after the war in Gaza, at meetings with the top diplomats from the two sides and key Arab states in Brussels.

The surprise Hamas attack on October 7 on Israel and the subsequent devastating military response from Israel has plunged the Middle East into fresh turmoil and sparked fears of a broader conflict.

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But while the bloodshed appears to have driven a long-term solution further out of sight, EU officials insist now is the time to talk about finally resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The 27 EU ministers met first with Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz before sitting down separately with the Palestinian Authority's top diplomat, Riyad al-Maliki.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia also held talks with the European ministers.

Israel's assault on Gaza has left over 25,000 Palestinians dead, the vast majority women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Netanyahu has vowed "complete victory" over Hamas after the attacks by the Islamist movement's fighters on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Hamas militants also seized about 250 hostages and Israel says around 132 remain in besieged Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and defied key backer the United States by rejecting calls for a Palestinian state.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted the immediate "priority is to provide support to the people" facing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

"More death, more destruction, more hardship for the Gaza people, for the Palestinian people, will not help to defeat Hamas or the ideology," he said.

"It will not bring more security to Israel on the contrary."

He insisted that the urgency of the situation on the ground "should not prevent work in the long-run and medium term" towards a conference to work towards an enduring peace.

- 'Only solution' -

Borrell said the Israeli minister "could have made better use of his time" after he showed videos about a potential artificial port island off Gaza and a transport corridor to India to his European counterparts.

"This didn't have much to do with what we were discussing," he said.

Katz ignored questions from journalists over a future two-state solution and said Israel was focused on returning the hostages and ensuring its own security.

Al-Maliki demanded the EU call for a ceasefire immediately and urged the bloc to consider sanctions against Netanyahu for "destroying the chances for a two-state solution".

Israel’s foreign minister was in Brussels on Monday to address his counterparts from the European Union, as part of a “diplomatic battle” to win support from the bloc amid deepening criticism over the human toll of the war and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to consider Palestinian statehood.

The foreign minister, Yisrael Katz, was scheduled to meet in a private session with E.U. foreign ministers to discuss defeating Hamas and the return of hostages from Gaza, his office said. In brief remarks to reporters before the meeting, Mr. Katz said he would speak about Israel’s need for international support to succeed in both those objectives.

“I’m here to meet my colleagues, the foreign ministers for the E.U., and to discuss with them about two main issues. First of all, bring back our hostages,” Mr. Katz said, holding up photos of the youngest hostage, 1-year-old Kfir Bibas, and several others. He added that Israel needed E.U. support to ensure its security, adding: “Our brave soldiers are fighting in very hard conditions.”

The Palestinian foreign minister, Riyad al-Maliki, was also scheduled to address the E.U. officials in a separate appearance.

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