Braving the black hole of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, officials from the European Union made the offer of monitoring border crossing to the Gaza Strip, replacing Israeli forces.

The diplomatic move stems from officials of the 28-nation bloc saying that the EU was willing to take a "strong role" in monitoring border crossings and that a return to pre-Operation Protective Edge conditions was "not an option." 

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"Operation Protective Edge" is the Israeli name for the recent military maneuvers in Gaza. Currently, Israel monitors all border crossings into and out of the restive Palestinian territory, currently administered by Hamas, a recognized anti-Israel terrorist organization.

1,900 Palestinians and 67 Israelis died in the most recent wave of cyclical violence that plagues the region.

The latest offer from the Europeans is part of a growing world criticism against Israel for its allegedly heavy-handed military strikes against Hamas targets, whose network and control of the region was left largely intact despite the bombings. Several critics of Protective Edge opined that the tactics of both sides seemed to be the same: Hitting each other. 

Hamas fired several missiles, mortars, and al-Qassam rockets into Israel. Foreign journalists who recorded the launchings were deported, decried as "collaborating with the occupation."

European Union force had monitored the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah between 2005 and 2007. The EU olive branch also comes at a time when Hamas and Jerusalem appear to be nearing a cessation of the latest round of violence. The largest hurdle in negotiations is the Israeli blockade of Gaza itself, a small strip of coastal land on Israel's southeast Mediterranean coast. In place since 2007, the Palestinians contend the blockade has choked Gaza's economy and depressed living standards. Israel fears open borders would allow weapons to flow into the territory. 

It is unclear if Israel with accept the EU's offer, and there has been much discussion of transferring more of Gaza's administration to Palestinian authorities in the West Bank, who are seen as more moderate.

TagsGaza Strip, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Operation Protective Edge, European Union, Israel vs. Hamas, Israel-Gaza crisis