EU Statement at the IAEA Board of Governors on the Situation in the Middle East , 21 November 2025

Chair, 

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino and Ukraine.

The EU welcomes the agreement reached on the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan to end the Gaza Conflict put forward by President Trump, as well as the outcome of the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit for Peace held on 13 October 2025. We commend the diplomatic efforts led by the US and the role played by the regional mediators, which the European Union has consistently supported. We call on all parties to fully commit to implementing all phases and to refrain from any actions that jeopardise the agreement.

In this context, the EU recalls the High-Level Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York co-led by France and Saudi Arabia. We reiterate our commitment to international law and to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

The EU welcomes the release of hostages that were held for two years by the terrorist group Hamas and calls on all parties to engage constructively and fully implement the agreement without delay, allowing for a permanent end to hostilities. To alleviate the dire humanitarian situation, the EU calls for immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza and for the UN and its agencies, and humanitarian organisations, to be able to work independently and impartially. The European Union will continue to contribute to peace efforts and to actively engage with partners on the next steps. It will support the rapid, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid in coordination with international partners, including via the Cyprus Maritime Corridor to supplement land routes. It will make full use of its missions European Union Border Assistance Mission to the Rafah Crossing Point (EUBAM Rafah) and European Union Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS). The European Union stands ready to contribute to Gaza’s stabilisation, transitional governance, recovery and reconstruction.

The European Union will continue to support the Palestinian Authority, including in its ongoing reform and with a view to its return to Gaza. We call on Israel to release withheld clearance revenues necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the Palestinian Authority and the delivery of essential services to the population.

The EU stresses the importance of de-escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and calls for an end to settler violence, including against Christian communities, to the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law, and to Israel’s military operation. It calls on Israel to reverse the E1 settlement plan that further undermines the two-state solution.

Thank you, Chair.