The European Commission has urged the Israeli Executive this Tuesday to put an end to the "atrocious and incendiary" rhetoric of its National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, following his recent statements in which he spoke of killing about 40 Palestinians from Gaza every night, and has emphasized that a proposal to include him on the EU sanctions list for human rights violations is still on the table.
"In his role as minister, the Israeli government has the responsibility to contain that kind of rhetoric," indicated in a press conference in Brussels the spokesperson for Foreign Affairs of the European Union, Anouar El Anouni, who stressed that the use of "atrocious and incendiary" language is "unacceptable" and "must not go unpunished." The community representative was responding to a question about Ben Gvir's words, who called for intensifying attacks against the Gaza Strip, defended the killing of dozens of Palestinians every night, and supported the construction of "Jewish settlements" in the Palestinian enclave considering that its inhabitants "are not even people."
In this context, El Anouni recalled that the European Commission has raised to the Council (the member states) a proposal to include the Israeli minister on the sanctions list of the bloc under the global sanctions regime for human rights violations. Regarding the escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza and the situation of Palestinian minors, the spokesperson reiterated that the civilian population, "especially children," must be protected at all times in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.
These statements come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened with new evacuations of residents if the launching of "kites, drones, and balloons" from the Gaza Strip does not stop immediately, despite the Israeli Army itself confirming that these objects were not carrying anything dangerous.
Brussels maintains its opposition to the E1 settlement plan
On the other hand, the European Commission has reiterated its request to Israel to withdraw the bidding aimed at building more than 1,200 homes in the controversial E1 settlement project, understanding that its development would seriously harm the prospects for a two-state solution.
The Anouni has warned that the implementation of this plan would divide the West Bank in two, isolate East Jerusalem, and further undermine the viability of the two-state solution, in a scenario already marked by the resurgence of settler violence. "The EU's position is clear," the spokesperson emphasized, insisting that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including the E1 area, are "illegal" under International Law.