Josep Borrell, the European Union‘s leading diplomat, described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic, apocalyptic,” surpassing even the destruction experienced by Germany in World War II in relative terms.
Borrell highlighted the significant civilian casualties resulting from Israel’s military response to the Hamas attacks that began on October 7.
He expressed concern over the violence in the West Bank by extremist settlers and criticized the Israeli government’s decision to approve 1,700 new housing units in Jerusalem, which the EU views as a breach of international law.
On October 7, Hamas initiated the conflict with its most lethal attack on Israel to date, killing around 1,200 people, as per Israeli data, and taking approximately 240 hostages.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign has caused extensive destruction in Gaza, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting at least 17,997 fatalities, predominantly women and children.
The EU official acknowledged that while Hamas’ aggressive actions have solidified its position on the EU’s list of terrorist organizations, he considers Israel’s military actions disproportionate in terms of civilian deaths and damage to civilian property and infrastructure.
He emphasized the immense human suffering and the challenge it poses to the global community. According to the Gaza health ministry, civilian casualties account for 60% to 70% of the total deaths, and 85% of the population is internally displaced.
Borrell also compared the destruction in Gaza to the damage sustained by German cities during World War II, suggesting it is comparable or even greater when taken proportionally.
The diplomat mentioned discussing the possibility of imposing sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank with EU foreign ministers, following a similar initiative by the US to deny visas to extremist Israeli settlers. However, he noted the lack of unanimity among the 27 EU governments on this matter.
