In her address to the European Parliament on Thursday, the newly re-elected Commission chief said “humanity cannot bear” the ongoing suffering of Palestinian civilians as Israel’s war against Hamas continues into its tenth month.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for the fighting in Gaza to stop immediately, as she hoped to secure another five years as EU Commission President.
“I want to be very clear: the bloodshed in Gaza must stop now. Too many children, women and civilians have lost their lives as a result of Israel’s response to Hamas’ brutal terror,” von der Leyen said in an address to the MEPs in Strasbourg on Thursday.
“The people of Gaza cannot bear any more. Humanity cannot bear it anymore,” she emphasised.
The Israel-Hamas war began on 7 October, after Hamas extremists entered Israel in the early hours of the morning, killing at least 1,200 civilians and taking over 240 hostages.
Over the past nine months, more than 38,600 Palestinians have been killed, mostly due to Israeli bombings in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. Gaza authorities do not differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties.
As the Commission chief, von der Leyen was previously accused of pro-Israel bias.
In Strasbourg, four Irish MEPs from the liberal Renew Europe group decided to go against their party line this week and vote against her reelection.
“I read her political guidelines. I’ve listened to her contributions to our group meetings. But unfortunately, I haven’t heard enough to make me think that there is a change of policy, particularly on Gaza,” said Barry Andrews of Renew Europe.
Andrews has received thousands of letters from voters on this issue, asking for an arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the EU remains deeply divided on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Why was von der Leyen criticised over Israel?
The Hamas-led attack on Israel elicited a raw response from von der Leyen, who denounced “terrorism in its most despicable form” and lighted up the Commission HQ Berlaymont building in Brussels with the Israeli flag.
Mid-October last year, less than a week after the Hamas attack, von der Leyen travelled to Israelto express solidarity and visit the scenes of the massacre. The trip included meetings with Netanyahu and Israel President Isaac Herzog.
“In the face of this unspeakable tragedy, there is only one possible response: Europe stands with Israel,” von der Leyen said at the time. “And Israel has a right to defend itself. In fact, it has the duty to defend its people.”
Her support was seen as one-sided as she failed to highlight the suffering of the Palestinian population. Days before her visit, Israel had declared a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip.
Von der Leyen’s actions in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war backfired and stood in stark contrast with her acclaimed, unifying response to the Russian aggression. Although the president later pivoted to balance her rhetoric, the trip took a heavy toll on her reputation.
