EU’s Borrell: Sanctions against ‘Israeli’ Ministers must Be on Our Agenda

By Staff, Agencies

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, stressed that the “Israeli” ministers who incite war crimes should face EU sanctions.

Borrell blasted two “Israeli” cabinet members – so-called “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 remarks made by the two regarding the military operation in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, Ben-Gvir criticized “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for considering a US-endorsed ceasefire and urged increased pressure on Hamas, as well as the rest of the Palestinian population of the besieged enclave.

“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?” he said in an interview with Radio 103 FM.

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.”

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.”