Former European Union (EU) top diplomat Josep Borrell has accused the bloc of being complicit in Israeli war crimes in Gaza due to its inaction. He stated that a third of the bombs used by Israel are made in Europe and criticized the EU for not sanctioning Israeli officials or addressing the issue openly. Borrell claims the EU’s reluctance to act undermines its global credibility.
The EU has faced calls to impose stronger sanctions against Israel, but Borrell argues that its current measures are insufficient and do not reflect the gravity of the situation. He pointed out that the EU’s Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen, has failed to prioritize the issue of sanctions against Israel, further stalling any meaningful action. The former diplomat also highlighted the need for the EU to take a firmer stance to preserve its international standing and prevent further escalation of the conflict.
Israel has been repeatedly accused of war crimes amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The military campaign in the enclave began in response to the October 7, 2023, attack in which the Palestinian militants 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. West Jerusalem also faced accusations of obstructing humanitarian aid in the area.
Borrell’s comments come amid growing international pressure on the EU to address the situation in Gaza. He emphasized that the bloc’s failure to act in the face of clear human rights violations could cost it its international image and reputation. “There’s a growing sense that inaction is starting to make us responsible for what’s happening,” he said. The former diplomat also criticized the EU’s limited sanctions against Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank, arguing that such measures are inadequate and do not reflect the scale of the issue at hand.
According to reports, the EU has only imposed restrictions against “maybe 20 people” over the Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank, despite such policies being considered illegal by the international community. Borrell compared this to the EU’s sanctions against Russia, which targeted thousands of individuals, calling the current approach a “bad joke.” He urged Brussels to take a more decisive stance to address the situation and prevent further loss of credibility on the global stage.