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During a summit in Brussels on Thursday, EU leaders agreed to call for the establishment of "humanitarian corridors and pauses" to get urgently needed aid into Gaza.
The leaders of the bloc's 27 nations expressed in a declaration the "gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza".
They called for "continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures, including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs".
The summit was the leaders' first in-person meeting since the deadly October 7 assault on Israel by Hamas, which prompted Israel to bombard and blockade Hamas-run Gaza.
In their declaration, the leaders repeated their previous condemnation "in the strongest possible terms" of the Hamas attack and emphasised Israel's right to defend itself "in line with international law and international humanitarian law".
Inside the Gaza Strip – in pictures
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Hind Khoudary is a Palestinian freelance journalist documenting the devastation in the Gaza Strip. Photo: Hind Khoudary -
Khoudary's husband’s family home was hit by Israeli forces. Photo: Hind Khoudary -
People in Al Quds hospital refused to leave despite evacuation warnings. Photo: Hind Khoudary -
Internet disruption has disconnected many residents from the rest of the world. Photo: Hind Khoudary -
Palestinian Christians mourn family members after an Israeli air strike hit a building in a complex housing one of the oldest churches in the world. Photo: Abed Elhakeem Abo Riash -
Palestinian Christians after an Israeli air strike on a church in Gaza. Photo: Abed Elhakeem Abo Riash -
The Baptist Hospital in Gaza was bombed by Israeli warplanes. Photo: Abed Elhakeem Abo Riash -
A young child awaits medical treatment. Photo: Abed Elhakeem Abo Riash
They also repeated a call for Hamas to immediately release all hostages "without any precondition".
"The European Union will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, ensuring that such assistance is not abused by terrorist organisations," the declaration said.
