Eurotopics.net

Following the brutal Hamas attack, Israel is preparing a large-scale ground offensive and has called on all civilians to evacuate the north of the Gaza Strip. The EU has announced it will airlift humanitarian supplies for Gaza and US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz plan to visit Israel. Europe's press discusses how Israel should proceed in Gaza how to show solidarity.

Martti Ahtisaari passed away on Monday at the age of 86. As President of Finland he led his country into the EU in 1995. In 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in resolving international conflicts: he persuaded Slobodan Milošević to withdraw his troops from Kosovo in 1999, oversaw the disarmament of the Northern Irish IRA and contributed to Namibia's independence and the end of the civil war in Aceh, Indonesia.

After the brutal attack by Hamas, Israel has vowed to respond forcefully against the Islamist terrorist organisation. The Gaza Strip has been sealed off and is being shelled, and there is also talk of a ground offensive. Water and electricity have been cut off, a move which has been condemned by the UN. The US has told Israel to adhere to the "rules of war". Europe's press debates what a proportionate response might be.

Much is being written about the geostrategic backdrop to the new war triggered by Hamas' attack on Israeli civilians and military facilities. The role of Iran and even Saudi Arabia are also in the spotlight. In this section we gather voices analysing the situation.