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EU voices concern over Gaza occupation plan while keeping Israel's arsenal stocked

Iran Press TV

Friday, 08 August 2025 5:21 PM

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on Israel to reconsider its latest plan to occupy Gaza City, even as the EU continues to arm and shield Tel Aviv in its 22-month war on the besieged Palestinian territory.

Von der Leyen's statement on Friday came after the Israeli regime approved a proposal to seize control of Gaza's largest city, following prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that the regime intends to bring the entire territory back under Israeli occupation.

The move marks yet another escalation in a war that has already left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, most of them women and children, and pushed the territory to the brink of famine.

In a post on her X account, von der Leyen said Israel's "decision to further extend its military operation in Gaza must be reconsidered," stressing the need for "a ceasefire now," the release of all captives, and unrestricted humanitarian aid to the starving population.

Netanyahu's office confirmed on Friday that the military is preparing to occupy Gaza City in a campaign expected to last at least six months.

The announcement triggered fresh condemnation worldwide, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suspending military exports to Israel that could be used in the Gaza war.

Palestinian resistance groups called the plan a desperate bid by a regime "bent on completing its war crimes."

Israel's war, which began in October 2023, has killed at least 61,330 Palestinians and injured more than 152,000. Severe restrictions on food and aid have left the territory facing a worsening starvation crisis, with nearly 200 people—almost half of them children—dying of malnutrition in recent months.

Despite the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes, and Israel facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, the EU has largely maintained political cover for Israeli operations.

Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in May said that Brussels had been enabling the war, stating that "half of the bombs being dropped on Gaza are provided by us."

Borrell described the situation as "the largest ethnic cleansing operation since the end of the Second World War" and said Europe was "not doing what it can" to stop it.

He warned that the campaign aimed to erase Palestinians entirely, clearing the rubble to make way for "a splendid holiday destination" in place of Gaza.