(Strasbourg) “The persistent crises in Gaza and in Palestine more broadly oblige us to act”, European Commissioner Dubravka Šuica said as she addressed the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg during a debate on the current situation in the Middle East. The Commissioner emphasised the urgency of kick-starting recovery on the ground and strengthening support for the Palestinian Authority, whose “finances are under pressure” with repercussions on “the banking sector and access to finance”, at a time when “rising settlers’ violence is straining” the social situation. Commissioner Šuica went on to explain that support for a reformed Palestinian Authority and dialogue with Israel “are not mutually exclusive”, insisting on the need for a two-state solution and the immediate launch of “early recovery” in Gaza, including through new initiatives on water, sanitation and waste management. It is against this backdrop that the ministerial meeting of the Palestine Donor Group, scheduled for 13 July in Brussels, will take place, which will launch the “Team Gaza” initiative. On behalf of the EU Council Presidency, that Ireland has just assumed for six months, Irish Minister Thomas Byrne called on Israel to guarantee “immediate and unhindered” access to humanitarian aid, urging the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip in accordance with UN resolutions.