Leaders to meet as EU struggles to put on united front over Israel-Hamas war

Emergency meeting called after a week of rows including over Ursula von der Leyen’s trip to Israel

An emergency meeting of the heads of EU member states has been called on Tuesday in an effort to “harmonise” the bloc’s response to the conflict in Israel and Gaza after a week of dysfunction and division.

As fears grow over the risk of a wider war and a humanitarian catastrophe in the region, EU member states admit they have struggled to put on a united front as they did in February 2023 when Russia invaded Ukraine.