EU could be complicit in Israeli crimes – ex-bloc foreign policy chief
Israel has been repeatedly accused of war crimes amid the conflict with Hamas in Gaza. West Jerusalem launched its military operation in the enclave in response to the October 7, 2023 attack in which the Palestinian militant group killed 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages.
Since then, more than 60,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. Israel has also been accused of obstructing humanitarian aid in the area.
According to Borrell, a third of Israeli bombs falling on Gaza 'are made in Europe.'
'Many member states simply don't want to impose sanctions on Israel,' Borrell told the EU Observer in an interview published on Monday.
He added that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also plays a role in stalling the process, as she does not put the issue of sanctions on Israel on the agenda and prevents an open debate on it within the commission.
According to Borrell, the EU only imposed sanctions on 'maybe 20 people' over the Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank, despite these policies being considered illegal by the international community.
'We sanctioned thousands in Russia for less,' he said, adding that the sanctions considered by Brussels against West Jerusalem are 'a bad joke.'
'What [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has done in Gaza surpasses many war crimes we've condemned,' Borrell said, calling the situation in Gaza an example of 'horrors' that are 'greater than others.'
According to Borrell, further inaction in the face of Israel's violations could cost the EU its international image and reputation. 'There's a growing sense that inaction is starting to make us responsible for what's happening.'
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