EU issues first joint demand for ceasefire in Gaza after October 7

EU leaders issued their first joint demand for a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages in Gaza in joint summit statement on Thursday.

The statement called for "an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire" and repeated condemnations of the attacks by Palestinian militant movement Hamas against Israel on October 7.

In the aftermath of the Hamas attacks, EU leaders managed in October to only call together for "humanitarian corridors and pauses" in Gaza to allow aid to reach Palestinian civilians.