European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced her opposition to Israel’s new offensive in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, following a phone call with Jordanian King Abdullah II.
The Commission has always supported Israel’s right to security and self-defence, and will continue to do so, but this escalation and disproportionate use of force against civilians cannot be justified under humanitarian and international law, Von der Leyen stated in a press release.
The Commission President highlighted recent airstrikes on a school in Gaza City, condemning the expansion of Israeli military operations targeting civilian infrastructure, including a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families, as abhorrent, particularly when civilians, including children, are being killed.
Von der Leyen urged Israel to immediately halt the current escalation and to allow large-scale humanitarian aid for the Palestinian population, with the involvement of the United Nations and other humanitarian partners. She also reiterated her call for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages.
Von der Leyen is not the first European leader to adopt a tougher stance against Israel in recent days. On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued strong criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
In response to pressure from a majority of Member States, High Representative Kaja Kallas initiated a review of the association agreement with Israel last week.
Israel's war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which saw around 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage. Currently, some 58 hostages remain in Gaza – of whom up to 23 are believed to be alive.
Meanwhile, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's military campaign, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Many Hamas fighters have also been killed during the fighting in Gaza.
