BRUSSELS: In a Tuesday call with King Abdullah II of Jordan, EU leader Ursula von der Leyen called Israel’s fatal wave of attacks on civilian targets in Gaza, including a school, “abhorrent.
In a renewed campaign to demolish Hamas that has earned worldwide censure, rescuers said that Israeli attacks killed at least 52 people in the Gaza Strip Monday, including 33 in a school that was converted into a refuge.
According to an EU transcript of the call, von der Leyen stated, “It is abhorrent that Israel’s military operations in Gaza have expanded to target civilian infrastructure, including a school that provided shelter for displaced Palestinian families, killing civilians, including children.
The European Commission has always backed Israel’s right to security and self-defence and would remain so, she stated. Von der Leyen cautioned, “However, humanitarian and international law cannot justify this escalation and disproportionate use of force against civilians.”
According to the commission chief’s statement, Israel must “immediately restore aid delivery in line with humanitarian principles, with the participation of the UN and other international humanitarian partners.” Long-standing divides within the group between nations that support Israel and those seen as more pro-Palestinian have made it difficult for the European Union to influence the issue.
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