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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made a high-stakes visit to Israel amid a backdrop of intensifying conflict and deepening humanitarian crisis. She stressed the urgent need for talks to end the conflict, saying, “resuming negotiations is the only way to put an end to the suffering on both sides.”

The trip marked her first official mission to the region since assuming office in December 2024 and came at a critical juncture following the collapse of a fragile ceasefire and growing international alarm over the spiraling violence in Gaza.

Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, arrived in Jerusalem on March 24, 2025, where she met with a range of stakeholders, including Israeli and Palestinian officials and also the families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

Her visit was timed with renewed Israeli military action in Gaza, where the IDF has ramped up airstrikes targeting Hamas positions. The current offensive comes in the wake of the collapse of a January 19 ceasefire agreement that had brought a brief lull in hostilities, lasting less than two months before breaking down.

EU foreign policy chief calls for ceasefire in Gaza and humanitarian aid

During her visit, Kaja Kallas stressed the urgent need for resumed negotiations to end the conflict. Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, she called for the resumption of the ceasefire as “the only feasible way to end the suffering on all sides.”

Kallas issued a clear warning about the consequences of continuing violence. “Violence feeds more violence,” she said, emphasizing the pain and fear felt by both Israeli and Palestinian families. “We are witnessing a dangerous escalation. It is causing unbearable uncertainty for the hostages and their families and is likewise causing horror and death for the Palestinian people.”

The priority now is that the ceasefire resumes and humanitarian aid comes back into Gaza.

Our EUBAM Rafah Mission is ready to resume its monitoring activity at the Rafah Crossing Point.

Press conference with @PalestinePMO Mustafa ↓ https://t.co/T8rbhJczC3

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) March 24, 2025

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Sa’ar said “the war can end tomorrow” if key prerequisites are fulfilled, including the release of hostages held by Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, and “the withdrawal of the armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad forces.”

EU’s top diplomat meets Mahmoud Abbas

President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, Kallas, and her accompanying delegation at the Presidential Palace in Ramallah. He congratulated Kallas on her new role and wished her success. He expressed appreciation for the EU’s continued support for the two-state solution, the Palestinian Authority’s governance of Gaza, and its efforts in governmental reform and reconstruction, including its backing of UNRWA and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

President Abbas emphasized the urgent need for the international community to exert pressure on Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza, secure a lasting ceasefire, open border crossings for humanitarian relief, and allow the Palestinian Authority to assume full responsibility in Gaza to facilitate reconstruction with international support.

He also condemned Israeli military actions in the West Bank, including the northern governorates, citing the destruction of infrastructure, home demolitions, and forced displacement of residents. Abbas called for an end to illegal settlement activities, settler violence, and the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, labeling these actions as violations of international law.

President Abbas acknowledged the EU’s significant role in supporting Palestinian state-building and government programs. He stressed the importance of resuming a political process grounded in the two-state solution and urged increased European recognition of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, alongside support for Palestine’s full UN membership.

A divided European Union

Kallas’ visit reflects the EU’s attempt to reassert itself as a credible diplomatic actor in a region where its influence has waned. But she faces significant internal challenges. The European Union remains sharply divided over its stance on Israel’s military campaign.

Countries like Austria, Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have largely supported Israel’s right to “self-defense.” In contrast, others, including Ireland, Belgium, and Spain, have been increasingly vocal in their condemnation of what they see as disproportionate force used against civilians in Gaza.

This internal discord has blunted the EU’s ability to present a unified front or exert meaningful diplomatic pressure. Kallas’ predecessor, Joseph Borrell, was frequently criticized by the Israeli government for his outspoken remarks on Israel’s conduct in Gaza. With Kallas now at the helm, there had been hope in Jerusalem for a reset. However, the EU’s fractured voice continues to limit its role.

Israel’s expectations and global ramifications

For Israel, the stakes are high, and expectations from the EU are clear. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar did not mince words during Kallas’s visit, pressing for stronger support from Brussels.

He portrayed Israel’s fight against Hamas as a broader struggle against global extremism. “We are fighting the war of the free world,” Sa’ar said. “Together with the USA, we must ally ourselves against the axis of evil.”

The roots of the current military campaign date back to the devastating attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli figures, approximately 1,200 people, including civilians, soldiers, and foreign nationals, were killed in the attack, and around 250 individuals were taken hostage.

In response, Israel began a wide-scale military operation in Gaza, which has since resulted in extensive civilian casualties and massive destruction. The Gaza health authority, run by Hamas, reports that more than 50,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed by Israeli strikes since the beginning of the conflict.

Kallas’ visit included meetings with some of the hostage families, uncertain whether their loved ones were alive. This personal aspect of the trip added emotional weight to her calls for renewed diplomacy and humanitarian relief.

A looming ground offensive and global concern

As the violence intensifies again, the prospect of further escalation looms. According to some sources, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing a large-scale ground offensive in Gaza. At the same time, Israel has announced the creation of a new authority to oversee the “voluntary” departure of Palestinians from Gaza, a policy that has provoked criticism domestically and abroad, with some likening it to forced displacement.

Inside Israel, discontent with the government’s handling of the crisis is mounting. On Sunday, anti-government protests erupted again, with demonstrators holding signs against the war and calling for the immediate release of hostages. Many analysts view the current Israeli leadership as a big obstacle to long-term peace.

Future for EU-Israel diplomacy

For now, Kaja Kallas’s visit signals an intention to restore some measure of EU engagement in the Middle East. Her calls for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and a return to negotiations reflect both the urgency of the crisis and the EU’s desire to reclaim a diplomatic role. Yet her ability to effect change is constrained not only by events on the ground but also by the fractures within the EU itself.

In the absence of unity and leverage, Europe’s voice risks being drowned out by more assertive actors. Still, the message Kallas brought to Jerusalem, that dialogue and diplomacy must not be abandoned, remains a vital one as the region stands at a dangerous crossroads.