RAMALLAH, July 3, 2025 (WAFA) – Vice President of the State of Palestine, Hussein Al-Sheikh, met on Thursday with a European delegation to discuss international efforts to end the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the escalating violence by Israeli settlers and forces in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The European delegation included Sigurd Halling, Head of Mission at the Danish Representative Office in Palestine; Kristina Kinch, Head of the Political Section at the Danish Mission; Rafik Lassel Sundström, Head of the Political Section at the Swedish Embassy; and Eva Alarcón, Head of Development Cooperation at the Finnish Embassy. Also attending the meeting was Ahmad Abu Houli, Executive Committee Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department.

During the talks, Al-Sheikh emphasized that an immediate ceasefire in Gaza must be the top priority in order to end what he described as a genocidal war. He also condemned ongoing settler violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, calling on the international community to take responsibility for protecting the Palestinian people from continued aggression.

Al-Sheikh further urged European countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so, stressing that such recognition is crucial for safeguarding the two-state solution.

He also stressed the urgent need to deliver effective humanitarian aid to Gaza without delay, ensuring that basic needs are met amid what he described as a severe and ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. 

Al-Sheih called for strong support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), underscoring the agency’s vital role as Palestinians face one of the largest waves of displacement and forced migration in recent history.

M.N