EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told her Israeli counterpart Tuesday that Israel’s military “must stop” killing civilians at aid distribution points in Gaza.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the bloc also condemned any attacks against the World Health Organization after the agency said its facilities in Gaza had been targeted by Israeli forces.
Kallas wrote on X that “the killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible”.
“I spoke again with Gideon Saar to recall our understanding on aid flow and made clear that IDF must stop killing people at distribution points,” she wrote.
The European Union early this month said it had struck a deal with Israel to allow more access into Gaza amid Israel’s devastating military operation.
Kallas has laid out a series of actions that EU states could take against Israel unless the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza improves.
“All options remain on the table if Israel doesn’t deliver on its pledges,” Kallas wrote in a post on X.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen joined the calls by saying “civilians cannot be targets. Never.”
“The images from Gaza are unbearable,” von der Leyen wrote.
“Civilians in Gaza have suffered too much, for too long. It must stop now. Israel must deliver on its pledges.”
EU officials have said there have been some improvements for aid access to Gaza, but that a lot more needs to be done.
“Channels are open and pressure is actually being put on the Israeli counterpart, so time is of the essence,” EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.
The spokesman also condemned attacks on “any WHO premises or any hospitals” after the UN agency said Monday its facilities in Gaza had come under Israeli attack.
“Let’s be clear: premises of WHO must not be attacked and must be protected,” he said.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Israeli military had entered the UN agency’s staff residence, forced women and children to evacuate on foot, and handcuffed, stripped and interrogated male staff at gunpoint.
