Brussels, 31/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Union joined the UN in condemning in the strongest terms the bomb attack, the day before, on a United Nations school in Gaza which left 16 dead, at least six of whom were children, and the attack on the market which killed 15 and injured 150, mainly civilians. Calling for an “investigation” into “these incidents”, the EU reiterated its call for international humanitarian law to be respected, and for an immediate ceasefire.
“We condemn the shelling of a UNRWA school in Gaza and of a market in Shuja'iyeh. It is unacceptable that innocent displaced civilians, who were taking shelter in designated UN areas after being called on by the Israeli military to evacuate their homes, have been killed. These incidents must be investigated with immediate effect”, stresses a statement published late on Thursday afternoon by the European External Action Service (EEAS).
More generally, “we are deeply concerned at the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and reiterate that all sides must meet their obligations and immediately allow safe and full humanitarian access for distribution of assistance. The humanitarian imperative must be respected and the civilian population protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. The dignity and rights of all those in need of humanitarian assistance must be respected and protected”, the statement continues.
In answer to a journalist who asked her whether the EU condemned a country for the deaths of civilians, Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson for Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the EU, responded diplomatically: “if you are referring to Israeli military operations, we say that they must be proportionate and comply with international law”.
Invited to react to the bombing of the office of Al Jazeera and the killing of a 23-year-old Palestinian journalist, who was wearing his journalist's badge, the spokesperson reiterated that the EU has “always been particularly clear in its condemnation of the loss of human lives among civilians. It is entirely unacceptable. Everything must be done to ensure that the lives of civilians are not harmed.”
As for the announcement, made on Thursday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that the army “would finish its work” to destroy all Hamas tunnels, the spokesperson commented that “there really is an urgent need to declare a ceasefire. All of our efforts are directed to that end. We are in touch with the parties in the regions and with the international partners.”
On Wednesday, Pierre Krähenbühl, the Commissioner General of the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) stressed that children had been “killed while sleeping alongside their parents on the floor of a classroom, in a refuge designated as such in Gaza” and that he did not have the words to condemn “strongly enough this serious violation of international law”. (AN)