Austria and the Czech Republic are preventing the European Union from calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said.

Varadkar – who announced his resignation on Wednesday and is staying on as premier only until a successor is in place – said he hopes to convince both countries to agree to a united call from from the EU “for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire leading to a two state solution.”

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer countered that the EU must recognize the sexual violence carried out by Hamas during the October 7 attacks on Israel. “There is still a discussion that I honestly cannot understand,” he said.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres urged the EU to support a ceasefire, and warned that civilian casualties in Gaza like in Ukraine must be condemned “without double standards.”

Source