Last week, European leaders agreed for the first time to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. By then, more than 34,000 Palestinians – two-thirds of them women and children – had been killed in Israel’s war, launched after Hamas’ deadly 7 October attack. Spain, Ireland, Belgium, and France constitute the main bloc of countries that started calling for a ceasefire at the beginning of November 2023, accompanied by Malta and Slovenia. At the other extreme, Austria and the Czech Republic were reportedly the last countries blocking a unanimous EU call for a truce. Germany, Italy, and Hungary were also amo…