EU Must Consider Sanctions Against Israeli Ministers, Says Borrell
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has urged for sanctions against high-ranking Israeli officials who promote "war crimes." Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has stated that Israeli ministers who encourage "war crimes" should be subjected to sanctions by the European Union.
On a social media platform, Borrell criticized two members of the cabinet, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, following their comments about the military actions in Gaza. He pressed the Israeli administration to clearly distance itself from the statements made by these two ministers.
During an interview earlier with Radio 103 FM, Ben-Gvir took a stand against a ceasefire endorsed by the US, which had been considered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He advocated for increased measures against Hamas and the rest of the Palestinian inhabitants in Gaza, stating, ”If we cut off their fuel, within a week they would be on their knees. And if we stop the [aid] trucks, within two weeks they would be on their knees. So why are we going to do a deal, especially such an irresponsible deal?”
Smotrich, in previous remarks, defended the idea of starving 2 million Palestinians as a moral act and expressed frustration over Israel needing international approval for its military activities in Gaza. ”No one in the world would let us” starve the Palestinians, he noted, emphasizing the difficulty of combating Hamas while simultaneously providing them aid.
In response to these developments, Borrell called on the Israeli government to renounce these calls for war crimes and to partake in ceasefire discussions facilitated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has strongly reacted to Smotrich's statements, declaring the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare to be a war crime and expressing concern over the potential incitement of other atrocity crimes. Turk emphasized that such public statements by officials should immediately cease and be subjected to investigations and prosecutions if they are found to constitute a crime.
Meanwhile, Washington has been advocating for Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire arrangement, with White House National Security Adviser John Kirby articulating concerns last week about Smotrich's implications for an indefinite continuation of the conflict.
Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are known for their right-wing positions within Netanyahu’s coalition. This comes in the backdrop of violent episodes starting with a surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel last October, which killed approximately 1,100 people and saw 200 others taken as hostages. In retaliation, Israeli actions have reportedly resulted in at least 39,800 Palestinian casualties, as stated by Palestinian health authorities.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
On a social media platform, Borrell criticized two members of the cabinet, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, following their comments about the military actions in Gaza. He pressed the Israeli administration to clearly distance itself from the statements made by these two ministers.
During an interview earlier with Radio 103 FM, Ben-Gvir took a stand against a ceasefire endorsed by the US, which had been considered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He advocated for increased measures against Hamas and the rest of the Palestinian inhabitants in Gaza, stating, ”If we cut off their fuel, within a week they would be on their knees. And if we stop the [aid] trucks, within two weeks they would be on their knees. So why are we going to do a deal, especially such an irresponsible deal?”
Smotrich, in previous remarks, defended the idea of starving 2 million Palestinians as a moral act and expressed frustration over Israel needing international approval for its military activities in Gaza. ”No one in the world would let us” starve the Palestinians, he noted, emphasizing the difficulty of combating Hamas while simultaneously providing them aid.
In response to these developments, Borrell called on the Israeli government to renounce these calls for war crimes and to partake in ceasefire discussions facilitated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has strongly reacted to Smotrich's statements, declaring the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare to be a war crime and expressing concern over the potential incitement of other atrocity crimes. Turk emphasized that such public statements by officials should immediately cease and be subjected to investigations and prosecutions if they are found to constitute a crime.
Meanwhile, Washington has been advocating for Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire arrangement, with White House National Security Adviser John Kirby articulating concerns last week about Smotrich's implications for an indefinite continuation of the conflict.
Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are known for their right-wing positions within Netanyahu’s coalition. This comes in the backdrop of violent episodes starting with a surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel last October, which killed approximately 1,100 people and saw 200 others taken as hostages. In retaliation, Israeli actions have reportedly resulted in at least 39,800 Palestinian casualties, as stated by Palestinian health authorities.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
