CAIRO, October 17. /TASS/. European countries, who continue to back Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip in every way, must unequivocally call for an end to the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and support the latter's right to establish an independent state, Hamas said, while commenting on a statement issued at the end of the summit of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

"The European states, most notably those that are still supplying [Israel with] weapons that are being used against the Palestinian people in Gaza, must take a clear stand that compels the [Israeli] authorities to stop killing the enclave's residents, and take measures to bring [Israel's] leadership to justice for waging this war," the movement said in a special statement published on its Telegram channel.

According to the militants, the calls to open the Gaza border crossings, deliver humanitarian aid to the population of the enclave and institute a ceasefire in the Strip contained in the final document of the Brussels meeting "require tangible steps and actions aimed at forcing Israel to cease hostilities and comply with the solutions adopted by the international community."

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian Hamas militants infiltrated the Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded by launching a military operation in the enclave in order to destroy the military and political structure of Hamas and liberate the hostages. The hostilities in Gaza are still ongoing.