EU FOREIGN policy chief Catherine Ashton will try to enter the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip when she visits the Middle East next week, escalating pressure on Israel in the run-up to US-brokered "proximity" talks with the Palestinians.
At an informal meeting in Cordoba, Spain, where EU foreign ministers discussed how the EU might help break the stalemate in the peace process, the ministers asked Baroness Ashton to intensify efforts to persuade Israel to lift its blockade of the territory.
Israel routinely refuses to allow foreign officials into Gaza, where conditions since its military offensive last year have been branded "inhumane" by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin.
The EU ministers received a briefing on widespread malnutrition in Gaza from Mr Martin, who visited there via Egypt two weeks ago. "I made the point as well that this is wholly counterproductive to the peace process, that Hamas is earning increased revenue from the tunnels, making Hamas stronger and it makes no sense," the Minister said.
"The issue is to increase the level of pressure to get the blockade lifted."
Baroness Ashton's public demand to be let in to the area, home to 1.5 million Palestinians, marks a fresh effort to assert her authority in one of the world's most intractable conflicts. Her performance has been criticised since she unexpectedly became the EU's top diplomat late last year, and her visit to Israel, Egypt, Syria and Jordan will be her most high-profile diplomatic venture to date.
In advance of talks brokered by US special envoy George Mitchell, her demand may also be seen as a key test of Israel's willingness to be flexible in renewed efforts to settle the decades-long conflict.
"I have asked to go to Gaza," Baroness Ashton said. "We are providing a huge amount of aid into Gaza and I'm very interested to make sure that we are seeing the benefits of that aid going in."
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said his counterparts were unanimous in the view that the foreign policy chief should pressurise Israel to lift the blockade.
"It is important to show also that we are concerned with the issue by allowing her to go in there," he said.
He said "Egypt might be the alternative" if Israel refused to allow her in.
Baroness Ashton said the EU's concentration was on supporting Palestinian authorities in building state institutions – "the enabling mechanisms that allow them to take the responsibilities" – while supporting US mediation in the talks.
"It is extremely important that we continue to boost that as the . . . talks get going," she said.
Mr Martin said there will be further discussions as to what actions the EU takes in respect of the US-led talks.
"My view is that we should allow them take place, those talks, and see whether there's substance in them or not before we do anything," he said.
Asked whether others around the EU table shared his opinion, he said: "There'd be different views around the table. I'm not going to say what other people think."
At their biannual informal meeting, the Ministers also discussed plans to establish a new EU diplomatic corps. Against the backdrop of resistance in the European Commission to the ceding of powers to the European External Action Service, ministers expressed the view that the body should not dilute their power in external affairs.
"The main player is the council of the foreign ministers with the high representative," said Luxembourg minister Jean Asselborn, echoing the views of many of his counterparts.
"I think that we have to finish very, very quickly this discussion because foreign ministers are there to speak about foreign policy and not about formalities and all these logistical instruments."
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