European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell insisted on Monday on a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue, telling Israel that it cannot build peace "by military means alone".
EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday to discuss Israel's war in Gaza, where they are expected to meet separately with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.
On the eve of the meeting, Borrell answered questions from reporters and repeated the United Nations' condemnation of Israel's "unacceptable" rejection of the call for a Palestinian state after the Gaza war.
"What other solutions do they have in mind? To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill them? 25,000 are already (killed) in Gaza, 70 percent women and children. Of course, the way they trying to destroy Hamas is not the way they work, because they spread hatred from generation to generation. We consider what Hamas is, what Hamas has done, and of course we reject and condemn it. But peace and stability cannot to be built only with military means", said Borrell.
He added that the humanitarian situation in Gaza could not be worse and that there are no words to describe the situation on the ground.
"And every day there are huge numbers of civilians killed. Many ministers have said there are 'too many'. Well, the question is: how much is 'too many'? What does 'too many' mean? Is 25,000 people too many? How many how long will this last? That's what the ministers will talk about today, so it's a very important meeting. I'm glad I was able to invite them and get them to come," said Borrell.
He added that in today's meeting he will present a comprehensive approach and discuss the two-state solution.
"I think we should stop talking about the 'peace' process and start talking more concretely about the 'two-state solution' process," said the European official.