Global Think Tank Urges Europe: ‘Words Are Not Enough’ Amid Israel’s Gaza Genocide

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BELGIUM — The International Crisis Group has urged European leaders to match their stated concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with concrete action. Amid the ongoing Israeli blockade and growing warnings of a looming famine, the organization has called for a ban on arms sales to Israel amid the ongoing genocide.

In recent weeks, several European countries have employed stern language to rebuke Israel’s blockade in Gaza, which has brought hundreds of thousands of people to the verge of starvation.

But most European countries enjoy warm ties with Israel and continue to export weapons to the country. The EU is Israel’s top trading partner.

“For European Union members and the UK to have any hope of contributing to changes in Israel’s policy, they need to throw more of their economic and diplomatic weight into signalling to Israel that the Gaza campaign must end,” the International Crisis Group said in a statement titled Europe on Gaza: Words Are Not Enough.

“A starting point would be to ban arms sales to Israel or, at least, forbid the use of weapons from Europe in Gaza; commit to upholding the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Netanyahu himself, if they travel to Europe; curb preferential trade benefits; and sanction those senior officials and ministers pushing illegal settlement policy, while threatening further steps if the assault does not stop.”

“Harrowing images of Palestinians, particularly children, physically suffering from hunger after nearly three months of total blockade, as well as families killed by Israeli bombs, have made Israel’s collective punishment of Gaza harder for Europe to ignore. “

In a joint statement last month, 23 nations—including Canada, the UK, France, and Australia—condemned Israel for allowing only very limited humanitarian aid into Gaza. The statement urged Israel to permit the entry of more aid, warning that the population is facing “starvation.” It emphasized that humanitarian assistance should never be politicized.

The leaders of the UK, France, and Canada also issued a sharp warning to Israel. In a separate joint statement, they condemned Israel’s expanded attacks on Gaza and the West Bank and threatened concrete action if the offensive continues and the blockade on humanitarian aid is not lifted.

“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions,” the statement said. “If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”

On March 2, Israel announced the closure of Gaza’s main crossings, cutting off food, medical and humanitarian supplies, leading to an unprecedented deterioration of humanitarian conditions, according to reports by human rights organisations who have accused it of using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinains.

An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report warned that almost a quarter of the civilian population would face catastrophic levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase Five) in the coming months.

Under growing international pressure and condemnation, Israel partially ended an 11-week long aid blockade on Gaza last month, allowing a limited amount of aid to be delivered under a controversial US-backed plan that has been heavily criticised.

C. QNN

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