In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Euronews, EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib talks about the bloc’s role in the Middle East, as well as in Ukraine - and she defends her home country, Belgium.
The European Union wants to play an active role in Middle East diplomacy following the Gaza ceasefire agreement, provided Hamas plays no role in the future of the territory.
“Hamas is not an interlocutor for us, it’s a terrorist group,” the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management and Preparedness told Euronews in an exclusive interview in Brussels.
“We need to see Hamas disarmed and not being part of a two-state solution,” she added.
The 20-point peace plan brokered by US President Donald Trump has opened a window of hope, but the urgency now is to alleviate the suffering and to provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza, Lahbib said.
The Commissioner urged Israel to swiftly implement the second phase of the agreement by letting 600 trucks per day enter the territory.
“We are not there yet. And so we ask the Israeli authorities to keep their promises,” Lahbib said on Euronews' flagship interview programme The Europe Conversation.
Lahbib noted that the EU Foreign Affairs Council recently decided to keep pressure on Israel by putting a partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the table.
In September, weeks before the Gaza ceasefire agreement, the EU Commission had formally proposed to suspend certain parts of the bilateral agreement with Israel, after a review indicated potential breaches of its human rights obligations.
The EU is Israel’s first trading partner and the first international donor to the Palestinian Authority.
“With this balanced approach, we also need to be sure that our rules and principles are respected,” Lahbib said.
Belgium not hindering ‘a new way of funding Ukraine’s war effort’
Pivoting to the war in Ukraine, Lahbib confirmed the EU’s continuing commitment to supporting that country and its people.
“When I was minister of foreign affairs, I remember we were always repeating that we will support Ukraine as long as it takes, and we are doing so, and we will continue to do so,” she said.
Commenting on Belgium’s resistance to issuing a €140 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian financial assets held at Brussels-based Euroclear depository, Lahbib expressed understanding for the Belgian position.
Belgium is not hindering a new way of funding Ukraine’s war effort, she said.
"We don't have an example to follow, and it needs to be secured from a legal point of view. That's the only thing, that's the only point," she said. "I think it's just a question of time."
The main concern for Belgium is the Russian retaliation if Moscow demands its assets back and sanctions are lifted.
"We just need to secure the legal aspect to be sure that Belgium is not going to be brought in front of a court of justice later on," Lahbib said.
After intense discussions at a European Council summit meeting in Brussels on Thursday, EU leaders hoped to come to an agreement over the plan.
However, the EU27 leaders parted without a decision, as they failed to placate Belgian concerns over the proposal.
The topic will likely be picked up again at another summit in November or December.
Asked about whether Europe is prepared for war, she pointed to the changing nature of war.
"We are prepared every day for everything," Lahbib said. "But war is not [...] a soldier knocking at your door.
"Today's reality is a virus, a chemical attack, a nuclear incident that is maybe provoked by power outages. So we need to have a good understanding of today's threats."