Brussels – In a compelling interview released on Thursday, Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s Executive Vice President, stated that the ongoing displacement and killing in Gaza bear a striking resemblance to genocide.
Ribera, who serves directly under President Ursula von der Leyen, oversees vital portfolios including climate and antitrust regulation.
What did Teresa Ribera say about Gaza violence?
“If it is not genocide, it looks very much like the definition used to express its meaning,”
Ribera asserted.
“What we are seeing is a concrete population being targeted, killed and condemned to starve to death,”
she added.
“A concrete population is confined, with no homes — being destroyed — no food, water or medicines — being forbidden to access — and subject to bombing and shooting even when they are trying to get humanitarian aid. Any humanity is absent, and no witnesses are allowed,”
Ribera emphasized.
What actions has the European Commission proposed recently?
Last week, the European Commission proposed restricting Israel’s access to its primary research funding program, responding to pressure from EU member states urging Israel to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The proposal highlighted Israel’s alleged violations of a human rights clause in its agreement with the EU.
“Israel has committed horrific acts and atrocities by intervening in the Gaza Strip and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe, including thousands of civilian deaths, and increasingly horrifying levels of growing extreme malnutrition, specifically of children, which breaches human rights and humanitarian law,”
the proposal noted.
What did Ursula von der Leyen state regarding Gaza?
Additionally, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, labeling them “abhorrent.” She characterized the imagery emerging from the region as “unbearable.”
Von der Leyen called for the immediate and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and urged Israel to comply with both international and humanitarian law.
How many civilians have died in Gaza so far?
The conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israeli communities and military targets, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities, including over 700 civilians, as well as 251 hostages taken to Gaza.
Israeli military actions have severely affected the densely populated Gaza Strip, with Palestinian health sources reporting over 61,000 deaths, predominantly civilians. Israel maintains that its operations are defensive actions aimed at neutralizing Hamas, which it accuses of using civilians as human shields—a claim that Hamas denies. Furthermore, Israel has consistently rejected allegations of genocide stemming from its Gaza operations.
, reports 24brussels.
