Josep Borrell on Gaza

Josep Borrell, the former EU High Representative, has adopted a strongly critical stance on the war in Gaza, accusing Israel of committing genocide and what he describes as the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since World War II in pursuit of creating a 'splendid holiday destination' after clearing the territory of Palestinians. He explicitly links the horrors inflicted on Gaza to statements made by Israeli ministers, asserting that clear declarations of genocidal intent have been made and acted upon, noting the massive scale of explosive power used. He further argued that the international rules-based order is hanging by a thread due to the widespread disregard for international humanitarian law by belligerents, including Israel.

He has harshly criticized the European Union's perceived inaction, noting that expressions of regret are insufficient, especially given the bloc’s material contribution to the conflict. The former diplomat asserts that the EU supplies half the bombs falling on Gaza, implying that a lack of influence stems from a failure to leverage its Association Agreement or weapon supply chain. Therefore, he proposed concrete measures to EU Member States, such as banning imports from illegal settlements and suspending the political dialogue with Israel, arguing that the past approach has demonstrably failed. He called for collective global action and an increased strategic responsibility from Europe to influence conduct in the region.