EU convenes summit to deal with fallout from Israel-Hamas war

By AP 16 October 2023, 12:17 pm

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European Council President Charles Michel speaks during an exclusive interview with the Associated Press at the EU Council in Brussels, Friday Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

European Union leaders will hold an emergency summit tomorrow as concerns grow that the war between Israel and Hamas could fuel inter-communal tensions in Europe and bring more refugees in search of sanctuary.

“This conflict has many consequences, including for us in the European Union,” EU Council President Charles Michel says in a video statement announcing that he had convened the virtual meeting. “The conflict could have major security consequences for our societies.”

Michel said that the war “has a potential to worsen tensions between communities and to feed extremism” in Europe, and that “there is a major risk of migration and movements of a large number of people to neighboring countries.”