Portrait of Josep Borrell
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Josep Borrell on Hamas

Critic of Israeli conduct (strong)

TL;DR

Josep Borrell strongly condemns Hamas's October 7 attack while heavily criticizing Israel's subsequent military response in Gaza.

Key Points

  • He strongly condemned the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 people and took over 240 hostages.

  • He repeatedly claimed that Israel helped create and finance Hamas by enabling its growth as a rival to Fatah in order to divide Palestinians.

  • He stated in May 2025 that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and carrying out the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since World War II.

Summary

Josep Borrell, the former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, unequivocally condemned the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, describing it as a tragedy that unleashed violence, resulting in 1,200 deaths and over 240 hostages taken. However, he immediately framed the ensuing Israeli military response in Gaza as a separate, grave horror, stating that one cannot justify the other. He has gone on to accuse Israel of committing genocide and carrying out the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since World War II, alleging clear declarations of genocidal intent by Israeli ministers and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

His position includes a strong push for a political solution, arguing that peace is the only true security guarantee and that Palestine has a right to statehood, a two-state solution which he feels must be imposed. Borrell criticized the EU’s perceived weakness in influencing Israel, noting that the bloc supplies many of the weapons being used, and argued that expressions of regret are insufficient. He also claimed that Israel had enabled the development of Hamas as a rival to Fatah, suggesting Israel effectively financed the group’s growth by seeking to divide Palestinians.

Key Quotes

“We're facing the largest ethnic cleansing operation since the end of the second world war in order to create a splendid holiday destination once all the millions of tonnes of rubble have been cleared from Gaza and the Palestinians have died or gone away,”

Frequently Asked Questions

Josep Borrell's position is one of strong condemnation for Hamas's terrorist actions, particularly the October 7 attack. Simultaneously, he is highly critical of Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza, accusing its government of using excessive force and committing genocide.

The former EU High Representative asserted that Israel did not send direct checks but enabled Hamas's development as a political counterforce to Fatah. He views this as an unquestionable reality intended to divide the Palestinian political landscape.

Josep Borrell criticized the European Union for not using all its available means to influence Israel’s conduct in Gaza. He pointed out that Europe supplies half the bombs used, suggesting a natural response would be to supply fewer weapons.