Middle East Monitor / July 23, 2024
European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has denounced Israel’s ruthless war against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip declaring it “unacceptable”, stressing that the bloc cannot continue its relations “normally” with Tel Aviv amid this war.
“It is not possible to continue cooperation with Israel normally in light of the current situation. Israel can interpret history as it wishes, but respect for international law is binding,” Borrel said at a press conference yesterday.
“What we see in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe, man-made, of unbearable dimensions; 17,000 orphans; almost 40,000 people being killed. In order to rebuild Gaza [they] will need 10 years of taking rubble out,” he added.
Borrel also stressed the EU’s support for implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible.”
Since 7 October, Israel has been waging a devastating war against Gaza, killing more than 39,000 Palestinians and wounding thousands more. It has also forced two million Palestinians out of their homes and displaced them several times.
