Following the deaths of dozens of people in Gaza during the distribution of humanitarian aid as a result of fire attributed by relief workers to the Israeli army, the European Commissioner for Equality, Crisis Preparedness and Management, Hadja Lahbib, expressed her indignation on the X network on Tuesday 3 June.
“Killed for a crust of bread and a drop of water (...) A starving human is not a target”, she declared. And she adds: “Israel must allow full humanitarian access. UN partners with genuine expertise must be allowed to act impartially and independently, in accordance with humanitarian principles.”
On Tuesday evening, the President of the European Council, António Costa, also called on Israel to lift its blockade of the Palestinian enclave and halt its military operations. Mr Costa has previously spoken to the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, by telephone.
“I commend the tireless efforts of Egypt and Qatar to reach a ceasefire agreement based on the US proposal. An immediate return to the ceasefire is essential, leading to the release of all hostages and a lasting end to hostilities”, he said on X. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)