Romania supports the EU’s position on improving humanitarian access in Gaza
Bucharest – Romania has consistently supported the need for a ceasefire agreement, humanitarian aid, and the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
“Given the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the Romanian side has firmly supported the approach of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, to secure an improvement in humanitarian access on behalf of the EU. The European External Action Service (EEAS) has reached an agreement with the Israeli authorities and has a direct communication channel, but it needs firmer monitoring on the ground. This was also Romania’s requirement at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, stating that an agreement is considered successful only in the presence of sufficient humanitarian aid,” the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies.
The Romanian Ministry reminds that Romania has raised issues related to access to humanitarian assistance and essential goods for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, and in discussions with Israeli officials, the Romanian side emphasized the importance of a ceasefire that would allow the return of Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip and a solution for the long-term cessation of the conflict and the restoration of normal life in the territory: the two-state solution.
The European Union has reached an agreement with Israel to expand humanitarian aid to the enclave, announced on Thursday, July 10, by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. Although there are positive signs, “Israel must take more concrete steps to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground.” “The European Union will closely monitor how Israel implements this common understanding and the commitments made and will provide updates on compliance every two weeks,” Kallas stated at the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on July 15.
“At the request of the European Council, I presented to the ministers an inventory of various measures that could be taken regarding the review conducted in June of Israel’s compliance with Article 2 (which refers to the respect for human rights and democratic principles) of the EU-Israel Association Agreement; we thus had a discussion on this topic, and these choices must be made by the member states. We will maintain the availability of these options and are prepared to act if Israel does not meet its commitments. The goal is not to punish Israel, but to truly improve the situation in Gaza,” Kallas specified. (22.7.2025)
