As the war on Gaza rages unabated, European diplomats must step up and use their experience of multiparty diplomacy. The truth is perhaps an uncomfortable one for many: that a genuinely workable solution to this conflict requires an inclusive approach – one that recognises Hamas’s role in Palestinian sovereignty.
The killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau and chief negotiator in Tehran was a clear anti-diplomatic provocation from Israel. This is not the first time Israel uses assassinations to derail truces and ceasefire arrangements. The question is will it be the last? Haniyeh was a central figure in the group’s international diplomacy efforts and was a unifying voice, vital for any discussions around a potential ceasefire. European diplomatic engagement must address Israel’s belligerency.
Many European diplomats, like US and Israeli officials, have busied themselves in recent months by calling for the removal of Hamas from power – advocating for a change in Palestinian governance in an aim to exclude Hamas in the eventual rebuilding of Gaza.
