Palestine urges global pressure to halt Israeli aggression, open Gaza crossings

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa demanded intensified international pressure on Israel to cease its attacks on Palestinians and reopen Gaza's crossings.

During a meeting with Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel on Monday at the prime minister's headquarters in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, Mustafa pressed EU nations to compel Israel to end its aggression, unlock all Gaza crossings, and allow unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid, temporary shelter supplies, and reconstruction materials.

According to a statement from Mustafa's office, he also stressed the need to halt Israeli military incursions in the northern West Bank, which have demolished infrastructure, homes, and facilities while forcibly displacing residents.

The Israeli army has continued a deadly military offensive in the northern West Bank, killing at least 65 Palestinians and displacing thousands since Jan. 21.

Mustafa praised the EU's support for a Gaza reconstruction plan—endorsed by an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo on March 4, 2025 and a meeting of Organization of Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers—estimated to cost $53 billion over five years without displacing Palestinians.

Israel and the US rejected the plan, clinging to a proposal pushed by US President Donald Trump since Jan. 25, 2025, to relocate Gaza's Palestinians to neighboring Egypt and Jordan—a move both countries, alongside other Arab states and international bodies, have opposed.

Bettel, in response, underscored the urgency of ending Palestinian suffering, particularly in Gaza, and reaffirmed Luxembourg's backing for ceasefire efforts, relief initiatives, and Palestinian government reforms, the statement added.

The call comes after the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar and Egypt with US support, concluded on March 1.

Following its end, Israel shuttered all Gaza crossings again, blocking humanitarian aid in a bid to starve Hamas into submission.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has balked at starting the second phase, seeking more hostage releases without fulfilling commitments like ending the war or withdrawing fully from Gaza.

Hamas, in a statement on Monday, reiterated its stance: “We confirm our full commitment to the ceasefire agreement, its implementation, and our readiness to immediately begin negotiations for the second phase.”

Nearly 48,500 people have been killed, mostly women and children, in a brutal Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023. The onslaught was paused under the ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, which took hold in January.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.