EU's Empty Rhetoric on Israel's Human Rights Violations in Gaza

Strategic Insights -

The European Union's efforts to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement and address Israel's severe breaches of international law and human rights in Gaza are merely a sham, deflecting growing criticism and distracting from the EU's legally binding obligations to protect human rights and fundamental values. Despite overwhelming evidence of genocide, medicide, scholasticide, ecocide, econocide, and unchilding, the EU's empty rhetoric and lack of action have made it clear that they are unwilling to take significant action to protect the Palestinian people.

Key Takeaways:

  • The EU's review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is a sham, deflecting growing criticism and distracting from the EU's legally binding obligations to protect human rights and fundamental values.
  • Israel's breaches of human rights and international law in Gaza are so extensive that they must be organised into categories to capture the depth and breadth of destruction wrought onto every aspect of life in Gaza.
  • More than 90 percent of Gaza's population, or 1.9 million people, have been displaced, and in the past three months alone, over 600,000 people have been displaced again.
  • A full blockade was imposed by the Israelis since March 2, 2022, and meagre aid deliveries were reinstated only in late May.
  • Famine is widespread; 66 children have died of starvation, and more than 5,000 were hospitalised with acute malnutrition in May alone.
  • The EU's empty rhetoric and lack of action have made it clear that they are unwilling to take significant action to protect the Palestinian people.
  • European states have decided to take individual action, but what they have done has been just as meaningless as the EU agreement review.
  • The UK suspended trade talks with Israel, but not trade, and its communique alongside France and Canada only opposes Israel's "expansion of military operations in Gaza," not the devastation wrought upon the Strip so far.
  • France declared it would recognise a Palestinian state in June, but it did not happen; Spain claimed it stopped selling weapons to Israel, but a Barcelona-based think tank revealed the existence of more than 40 contracts between Spanish state institutions and Israeli defense companies.
  • Germany, France, the UK, and Italy continue to supply weapons in breach of the spirit of international law.
  • European governments can do that by simply abiding by their legal obligations under the various EU treaties and international law.

Statistics:

  • 1.9 million people, or 90 percent of Gaza's population, have been displaced.
  • Over 600,000 people have been displaced again in the past three months alone.
  • A full blockade was imposed by the Israelis since March 2, 2022.
  • Meagre aid deliveries were reinstated only in late May.
  • 66 children have died of starvation.
  • More than 5,000 people were hospitalised with acute malnutrition in May alone.

Sources:

  • The article does not provide specific sources, but the information is based on publicly available information and reports from various organizations, including the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Human Rights Watch.