The European Union’s (EU) foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has called for sanctions against Israeli ministers who incite “war crimes.” Borrell criticized two cabinet members – National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – in social media posts on Sunday. He urged the government to “unequivocally distance itself” from the remarks made by the pair concerning the military operation in Gaza.
Earlier in the day, Ben-Gvir criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for considering a US-endorsed ceasefire and called for increased pressure on the militant group Hamas, as well as the rest of the Palestinian population living in the besieged enclave. If we cut off their fuel, within a week they would be on their knees,” he said in an interview with Radio 103 FM. And if we stop the 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 previously claimed that starving 2 million Palestinians is morally justified and lamented Israel’s need for international legitimacy to conduct its war in Gaza. No one in the world would let us starve the Palestinians,” he said, adding: “You cannot fight Hamas with one hand and give them aid with the other.
In a social media post, Borrell urged the Israeli government “to unequivocally distance itself from these incitements to commit war crimes” and engage in ceasefire negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt. United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk reacted to Smotrich’s remarks by saying, “the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime.
This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes,” he said. Such statements, especially by public officials, must cease immediately, they must be investigated and if found to amount to a crime, must be prosecuted and punished.
Washington has been urging Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal. In his public remarks, Smotrich “essentially suggests that the war ought to go on indefinitely without pause,” White House National Security Adviser John Kirby said last week. Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir represent the right-wing of Netanyahu’s coalition government.
Hostilities broke out after Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel last October, resulting in the deaths of around 1,100 people and 200 others taken hostage. The Israeli response has claimed at least 39,800 lives, according to Palestinian health officials.