Borrell called the comments from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir an ‘incitement to war crimes’.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has condemned statements made by Israeli ministers on cutting humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Writing on X, Borrell said sanctions should be on the EU agenda and urged the Israeli government to distance itself from the comments and “to engage in good faith in the negotiations facilitated by the US, Qatar and Egypt for an immediate ceasefire.”
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the transfer of humanitarian aid and fuel to the strip should be stopped “until all our abductees are returned home”, in a post on X.
In the same post, Ben-Gvir also called for the permanent occupation of Gaza.
His comments came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said an Israeli delegation will attend ceasefire talks with Hamas to negotiate for the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
“It’s a mistake to sit with Hamas, which raped, murdered, and burned babies — and we are going to surrender to them?” he told Israel’s Radio 103 FM.
“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 added.
Ben-Gvir’s comments follow those of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who last week told a press conference that deliberate starvation of Palestinian civilians ‘might be justified and moral’.
“We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. Nobody will let us cause two million civilians to die of hunger, even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned,” he said.
“Humanitarianism in exchange for humanitarianism is morally justified — but what can we do? We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war,” he added.
Borrell called both statements “an incitement to war crimes”.
