ThisphototakenonFeb.18,2024showsaviewofatemporarycampinthesouthernGazaStripcityofRafah.Rafah,Gaza'ssouthernmostcity,sheltersmorethan1.3milliondisplacedPalestinians.(PhotobyRizekAbdeljawad/Xinhua)PARIS,Feb.19(Xinhua)--AsIsraelkeepsexpandingitsattacksagainstGaza,Europe'sstanceontheongoingconflicthasbeenchanging,withseveralEuropeancountriesrecentlyvoicingtheiroppositionagainstIsrael'sfurthermilitaryactionsinthesouthernpartofthecoastalenclave,andsomeEuropeanobserversevencriticizingIsrael'spatronsinWashington.AnalystssaythatEurope'sshiftingstancehashighlightedthetransatlanticdiscordanceovertheGazaconflict,whichcouldbeexplainedbythedifferencesindomesticneedsandstrategicinterestsofEuropeandtheUnitedStates.EUROPEVOICESOPPOSITIONInthepastweek,IsraelhaslaunchedairstrikesagainstGaza'ssouthernmostcityRafah,andindicatedthatitissettolaunchagroundoperationinthecity,whichsheltersmorethan1.3milliondisplacedPalestinians.OnFriday,theEUurgedtheIsraeligovernmentnottotakemilitaryactioninRafah.AmilitaryactioninRafah"wouldworsenanalreadycatastrophichumanitariansituationandpreventtheurgentlyneededprovisionofbasicservicesandhumanitarianassistance,"JosepBorrell,theEU'shighrepresentativeforforeignaffairsandsecuritypolicy,saidinastatement.Onthesameday,FrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacron,aftermeetingwithJordan'sKingAbdullahIIinParis,saidthatIsrael'sattackonRafahcouldleadtoan"unprecedentedhumanitariandisaster"andbecomea"turningpointintheconflict."Hereiteratedthat"theonlyviablesolutiontomeetthesecurityneedsoftheIsraelipeopleandthelegitimateaspirationsofthePalestinianpeopleistheeffectiveimplementationofthetwo-statesolution."InajointletteraddressedtoEuropeanCommissionPresidentUrsulavonderLeyenonWednesday,SpanishPrimeMinisterPedroSanchezandhisIrishcounterpartLeoVaradkarwrotethatIsrael'smilitaryactionsinRafahposeda"graveandimminentthreat"andaskedtheEuropeanCommissiontoundertakean"urgentreview"toassesswhetherIsraelwascomplyingwiththehumanrightsprovisionsoftheEU-IsraelAssociationAgreement.AlsoonWednesday,whilevisitingIsrael,GermanForeignMinisterAnnalenaBaerbocktoldreportersthat"1.3millionpeoplearewaitingthere(inRafah)ataverysmallspace.IftheIsraeliarmyweretolaunchanoffensiveonRafahundertheseconditions,itwouldbeahumanitariancatastrophe."EarlierinFebruary,GermanChancellorOlafScholzalsoexpressedconcernsoverthehumanitariansituationinGazainaphonestalkwithIsraeliPrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahu."OneofIsrael'sstrongestallieswithinthe(European)bloc"isnow"rethinkingtheirunyieldingsupportofIsrael'swarinGaza,"commentedPOLITICOEurope.DIFFERENTTUNEINU.S.SincethedeadlyconflictbetweenIsraelandHamasstartedfourmonthsago,EuropehassharedasimilarstancewiththeUnitedStates--condemningtheattacksbyHamasandemphasizingIsrael's"righttoself-defense."WithtensofthousandsofPalestinianskilledandthecallforaceasefiregrowing,bothEuropeandtheUnitedStateshaveadjustedtheirpositions,buttodifferentextentsandindifferentways.U.S.PresidentJoeBidenreiteratedthatIsraelshouldnotproceedwithmilitaryactioninRafahwithouta"credibleandexecutableplan"toprotectPalestiniancivilians.ItindicatesthatifIsraelhasaplantoprotectcivilians,theUnitedStateswillmaintainitssupportforIsrael'sexpandedoperationsinGaza,includingtheattackonRafah.Infact,theUnitedStateshasnotstoppedprovidingmilitaryassistancetoIsrael.SuchapositionhasraisedquestionsamongtheEuropeans."PresidentBidensaidthisistoomuchonthetop,itisnotproportional.Well,ifyoubelievethattoomanypeoplearebeingkilled,maybeyoushouldprovidelessarmsinordertopreventsomanypeople(from)beingkilled.Isn'titlogical?"askedBorrellatapressconferencelastweek.WheredoesIsraelexpectthePalestinianciviliansinRafahtoevacuateto,"tothemoon?"hequestioned.Europeancountries,includingIreland,Belgium,Spain,Slovenia,Portugal,Malta,andLuxembourg,are"takingalternativedirectiontolikesoftheUnitedStatesandUK"overIsrael'sactionsinGaza,notedtheGuardian."It'sanimportantcounterweightagainsttheusualsuspects--thepro-Americancountries--whotendtobemorepro-Israeli,"theBritishdailyquotedBrigitteHerremans,aresearcherattheUniversityofGent,assaying.DIFFERENTPOLITICALINTERESTSAnalystsbelievethatEuropeandtheUnitedStateshavebothadjustedtheirstancesontheconflictfordomesticpoliticalconsiderations.Bothsidesawaitimportantelections.TheUnitedStateswillelectanewhostoftheWhiteHouseinNovember,andnewdeputieswillbeelectedtositattheEuropeanParliamentinJune.TheyhavetoconsiderthefeelingsoftheirMuslimcommunities.However,thedomesticpoliticalneedsandforeignpolicygoalsofEuropeandtheUnitedStatesarenotcompletelythesame.WhensupportingIsrael,WashingtonexpectstogainsupportfromthepowerfulJewishlobbygroupsintheUnitedStates,whicharefinanciallyandpoliticallyinfluential,whiletheEuropeansactoutofasenseofguiltoverthepersecutionofJewsinhistory.AstheciviliancasualtiesandhumanitariancrisiscausedbyIsraelimilitaryoperationsmounted,theUnitedStateschosetocontinuetosupportIsraelwithonlyverbal"warnings,"whileEuropehasbeenmoreexplicitinitsoppositiontoexpandedIsraelimilitaryoperations.Besides,EuropeismuchlessinneedofIsraelstrategically,buttheUnitedStatesregardsIsraelasapillarofsafeguardingWashington'sstrategicinterestsintheMiddleEast.ForEurope,alreadyhardhitbyatwo-yearconflictinUkraine,Israel'sattemptstoeliminateHamasthroughmilitaryactionmakethingsharder.Caught"betweentwowars,""Europeisindanger,"BorrellwroteintheFrenchmagazineLeGrandContinentinJanuary."IbelievethatEuropeshouldbemuchmoreinvolvedinresolvingtheIsraeli-Palestinianconflict.Untilnow,wehavereliedtooheavilyontheUnitedStatesinthesearchforasolutiontothisconflictthatdirectlyaffectsus,"Borrellsaid.■ChildrenarepicturedatatemporarycampinthesouthernGazaStripcityofRafah,Feb.18,2024.Rafah,Gaza'ssouthernmostcity,sheltersmorethan1.3milliondisplacedPalestinians.(PhotobyRizekAbdeljawad/Xinhua)ChildrenplayatatemporarycampinthesouthernGazaStripcityofRafah,Feb.18,2024.Rafah,Gaza'ssouthernmostcity,sheltersmorethan1.3milliondisplacedPalestinians.(PhotobyRizekAbdeljawad/Xinhua)AboyfetcheswateratatemporarycampinthesouthernGazaStripcityofRafah,Feb.18,2024.Rafah,Gaza'ssouthernmostcity,sheltersmorethan1.3milliondisplacedPalestinians.(PhotobyRizekAbdeljawad/Xinhua)ChildrenarepicturedatatemporarycampinthesouthernGazaStripcityofRafah,Feb.18,2024.Rafah,Gaza'ssouthernmostcity,sheltersmorethan1.3milliondisplacedPalestinians.(PhotobyRizekAbdeljawad/Xinhua)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.