Abela reiterates importance of Gaza ceasefire as Israel mulls Iran retaliation

Malta’s prime minister Robert Abela has issued a stern condemnation of Iran’s attack on Israel but wished that there would be no escalation from Israel, which has largely thwarted the missile attack hurled against it.

Abela is in Brussels to attend the European Council where he will once again reiterate Malta’s desire for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the Israel’s genocidal response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October have killed almost 34,000 Palestinians and flattened most of the Gaza strip.

“We are among the first to have insisted on the ceasefire, a message I emphasise in today’s Council. We need to bring peace back to Gaza,” Abela said.

Abela said he had also met the families of the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on the 7 October attacks.

“It was a heart-breaking scene to meet families who do not know whether their relatives are dead or alive, and they asked me that I send this message to the Council: a call for a ceasefire, in a bid that there would be peace, and in the hope that they might see their loved ones again,” Abela said.

Abela said he also wanted to welcome more Palestinian children for healthcare in Malta. “It is indeed a sensitive matter, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives, and over 1,400 Israelis are dead… that is why we keep insisting on a ceasefire and for peace in the Middle East.”