European Union leaders are pushing for a more prominent role in Gaza and the occupied West Bank after being left out of the recent United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. At a summit in Brussels, leaders discussed ongoing instability in Gaza and pledged increased humanitarian aid, including the possibility of delivering supplies via a maritime route from Cyprus. The European Union, the largest provider of aid to Palestinians and Israel's top trading partner, is considering sanctions and a partial trade suspension to pressure Israel toward peace, despite some momentum for these measures stalling after the ceasefire. Individual European countries and leaders have taken their own steps, such as arms embargoes and calls for Israel's exclusion from cultural events, reflecting deep divisions within the bloc and growing public protest over the conflict.