The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, is calling on behalf of the 27 countries for a “humanitarian pause” to allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip. The head of European diplomacy acknowledges it is a “less ambitious” call compared to that of the UN secretary general.
António Guterres called for a definitive humanitarian ceasefire. However, the 27 believe that the European request can deliver results for the local population the fastest.
Speaking in Luxembourg at the end of the meeting, Borrell warned Israel that the right to defense has limits and that cutting off water and electricity to the population violates international law.
“We believe that the right to defense, like any other right, has limits,” Borrell said, recalling that this limit “is determined by international humanitarian law.”
“In particular, this means that water and electricity cannot be cut off to the civilian population,” he stressed, reiterating that “under humanitarian law, a besieged population cannot be deprived of water and electricity.”
“I don’t think anyone knows better than the Jewish people what harm one human being can do to another,” Borrell said, recalling that the Jewish people “have suffered so much persecution over the centuries to know what harm can be done.” caused. in a malicious one, trying to harm a human being and make him suffer the worst treatments.”
“The long history of the Jewish people, especially in Europe, makes us understand to what extent the suffering can be as terrible as that caused by this Hamas attack,” he lamented.
The head of European diplomacy regretted the delay in humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for a humanitarian pause, believing that this will be easier to achieve than António Guterres’ request.
“The UN Secretary General talked about a ceasefire, which is certainly much more than a pause. A pause is, as the name suggests, a pause. That is, an interruption of something that then continues. It is a less ambitious goal. then a ceasefire, which means an agreement between the sides, Borrell said, conceding that “a break could be agreed upon more quickly.”
Source: DN
