EU Council President: Israel’s actions in Gaza undermine future Palestinian state
European Council President Antonio Costa has criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, saying it no longer constitutes self-defense and threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state.
In an interview with Le Grand Continent on Monday, Costa called for an immediate ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza, and a halt to illegal settler activities in the occupied West Bank, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“From the outset, we recognized Israel’s right to self-defense. However, it is now clear that Israel’s military action no longer constitutes self-defense,” Costa said. He described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as catastrophic, condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war.
Costa also questioned Israel’s stated goal of eliminating Hamas, noting the group has retained operational capacity despite years of conflict. “Either the operation failed to destroy Hamas, or the real objective was something else: the destruction of Gaza to make peaceful coexistence of Palestinians impossible,” he said.
He acknowledged internal divisions within the European Council, with countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Hungary holding differing views, but said there is a growing consensus that the situation in Gaza is unacceptable.
On Sept. 17, the European Commission proposed downgrading trade ties with Israel and sanctioning top officials over human rights abuses in Gaza, targeting provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement including trade, services, procurement, competition, and intellectual property.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed over 65,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, displaced hundreds of thousands, and blocked humanitarian aid—resulting in at least 442 deaths among aid-starved civilians, including 147 children.
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