L'Unione europea e la crisi di Gaza. Un equilibrismo sempre più complesso

The article aims at analyzing the response of the EU institutions in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel of October 7th, 2023, and of the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip that followed the attack. The analysis has the main objective of assessing, through a report on statements, speeches, resolutions and measures delivered by the EU’s political institutions and representatives (European Council and its President, Commission and its President, Council, High Representative, European Parliament, but also the rotating State presidency), the effectivity of the decision-making process in the field of foreign policy and the coherence of the EU’s political stance on an international crisis of such magnitude as the Middle Eastern war. The analysis shows the deep division among the Member States, that is reflected in a cacophony of statements that convulsively followed the outbreak of the crisis, division that justifies the claim of the EU applying double standards in the call for compliance of international law. The article also considers two major consequences of the crisis, namely the threats to the commercial maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the EU naval mission Aspides, and the resurgence of antisemitic and anti-Islamic hate and violence in Europe and the Communication against hate that was published in December 2023.