Borrell’s comments came as part of a series of blistering remarks targeted at Israel during his visit to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing on Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENTEU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Brussels slammed the Israeli government over its war in Gaza once more on Tuesday, repeating that the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory was a "human-made tragedy."
While the Israel-Hamas war started with the 7 October terrorist attack led by Hamas, "one horror cannot justify another," he added.
"What's happening in Gaza today is another horror. It's not just a matter of defending (anyone), it is, I think, a massive violation of human rights," Borrell said.
“We have to look for a political solution because to feed someone with a dinner tonight in order to be killed tomorrow, it’s not exactly the solution,” the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs said.
Borrell’s comments came as part of a series of blistering remarks targeted at Israel during his visit to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing on Tuesday.
Additionally, he reiterated that Brussels was mulling imposing sanctions on two Israeli ministers and “some agencies” responsible for the illegal expansion of colonies in the occupied West Bank.
Borrell’s visit is part of the EU's ongoing engagement mission to prevent further regional escalation. He will travel to Lebanon later this week to discuss the country's stability and its role in the wider Middle East conflict.
According to the most recent figures provided by the Office of the European Union Representative, the number of Israeli settlement plans lodged for housing units in the occupied West Bank sharply increased from 2022 (4,427) to 2023 (23,349).
At least 19 dead in IDF attack on Muwasi
At least 19 people have been killed after Israel struck a crowded tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza early Tuesday, according to Palestinian officials.
The Civil Defence, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government, had earlier said that 40 people had been killed in the strike but the Israeli military disputed that toll, saying it had used precise munitions against a group of militants.
However, the Health Ministry said the toll from the strike could rise.
Israel stated that the attack targeted "significant" Hamas militants, a claim denied by the militant group.
Entire families were reportedly killed as they sheltered in tents, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence, first responders operating under the Hamas-run government. The 19 people killed were in a designated humanitarian zone known as Mawasi.
An AP cameraperson observed three large craters at the scene, where first responders and displaced individuals were searching through sand and rubble with garden tools and their bare hands, using mobile phones for light after the predawn strike.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, one of three hospitals receiving casualties, reported receiving around two dozen bodies following the strike.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Israeli military said that it had targeted Hamas militants operating in a command-and-control centre, claiming to have used precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and other measures to avoid civilian casualties.
Israel maintains that it has attempted to avoid harming civilians throughout the 11-month war, which began with Hamas's attack on 7 October. It blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing the militants of operating in residential areas and placing tunnels, rocket launchers and other infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques.
Hamas issued a statement denying the presence of any militants in the area. Neither Israel nor Hamas provided evidence to substantiate their claims.
The war has caused extensive destruction and displaced approximately 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. Israeli evacuation orders, which now cover about 90% of the territory, have forced hundreds of thousands of people into Mawasi, a sprawling line of squalid tent camps along the Gaza coast.
ADVERTISEMENTAid groups have struggled to provide basic services in Mawasi, and Israel has occasionally struck targets there despite designating it as a humanitarian zone.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began, without distinguishing between fighters and civilians in its count.