President of EU Commission demands Gaza conflict sanctions upon Israel
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her intention to pursue sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The 27-nation EU exhibits significant divisions in its stance towards Israel and the Palestinians, leaving it uncertain whether a majority will support the proposed sanctions and trade measures.
Von der Leyen stated that the commission will establish a Palestine donor group next month, with a focus on the future reconstruction of Gaza. She stated that the events in Gaza and the suffering of children and families have profoundly shaken the conscience of the world. Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. For the benefit of the children, for the benefit of humanity. “This must stop,” she added, to applause in the European Parliament at its meeting in Strasbourg, France. Von der Leyen’s remarks followed Israel’s military warning to Gaza City residents to evacuate, as it prepares to seize what it describes as Hamas’ final stronghold, where hundreds of thousands of individuals are enduring famine conditions.
The EU is ready for a potential collapse in trade negotiations with the US. The warning was issued on Tuesday in anticipation of an Israeli strike aimed at Hamas’ leaders in Qatar, where discussions regarding the cessation of hostilities in Gaza seemed to be at an impasse. The warnings issued for Gaza City mark the initial call for a complete evacuation. The conflict in Gaza commenced on October 7, 2023, when militants affiliated with Hamas took 251 individuals hostage and resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, predominantly Israeli civilians. Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, with approximately 20 of them thought to be alive.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in the deaths of at least 64,000 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not specify the number of civilians versus combatants among the casualties. It states that approximately fifty percent of those who lost their lives were women and children. Significant portions of major cities have been utterly devastated, with approximately 90 percent of nearly 2 million Palestinians forced to flee their homes.
