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LAST UPDATE | 1 Aug
THE FORMER CHIEF diplomat of the European Union has issued a grave warning to EU leaders about their “complicity” in genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by Israel in Palestine.
Josep Borrell said that the EU is tarnishing its reputation with the rest of the world through its continued support for and cooperation with Israel, particularly in supplying arms and maintaining trade relations.
“Those who do not act to stop this genocide and these violations of international law, even though they have the power to do so, are complicit in them,” Borrell wrote in an article in The Guardian newspaper today.
“This is unfortunately the case with the leaders of the European Union and those of its member states, who refuse to sanction Israel even though the EU has a legal obligation to do so.”
The Spanish diplomat said he had tried to get EU member states to suspend the association agreement between the bloc and Israel, which has a clause mandating it adhere to human rights and international law.
But despite his efforts and the worsening situation in Gaza and the West Bank, “the EU and most EU governments have so far failed to use any of the levers available to them to exert pressure on the Israeli government”.
He said the EU is “deepening its isolation by cutting itself off from the rest of the world”.
Borrell also noted that inaction from the EU could have legal consequences.
“The leaders of the EU and its member states will probably be called to account in the future for their complicity in the crimes against humanity committed by Netanyahu’s government.”
While the EU has not taken action against Israel as a bloc, yesterday, Slovenia announced it would ban all weapons trade with Israel, becoming the first EU state to do so.
It said it was moving ahead “independently” because the EU was “unable to adopt concrete measures… due to internal disagreements and disunity”.
There is a growing consensus among genocide scholars, human rights organisations and countries around the world that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
This week, the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem reached the conclusion that Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip is a genocide.
It said that the methods and rhetoric of Israeli leaders lead to “the unequivocal conclusion that Israel is taking coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip.
“In other words: Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
And today, esteemed Israeli author David Grossman said that, “with immense pain and with a broken heart”, he has reached the same conclusion.
Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza today to inspect food distribution sites, amid mounting international concern over a worsening starvation crisis and repeated massacres near distribution sites run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GFH).
Witkoff made the visit alongside US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
“Today, we spent over five hours inside Gaza,” Witkoff said in a post on X, accompanied by a photo of himself wearing a protective vest and meeting staff at a distribution centre.
He added that the purpose of the visit was to “help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza”.
This morning I joined @SEPeaceMissions Steve Witkoff for a visit to Gaza to learn the truth about @GHFUpdates aid sites. We received briefings from @IDF and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat! pic.twitter.com/GyVK5cwNgZ
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) August 1, 2025
Huckabee said on X that he joined Witkoff for the visit to Gaza “to learn the truth about (GHF) aid sites”.
Witkoff also held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, in which discussions reportedly centred on humanitarian challenges in Gaza and the possibility of a ceasefire.
The envoy is expected to “secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground”, White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt said.
The visit comes as at least 111 people were killed in the 24 hours prior to Thursday, with 91 of them reportedly seeking aid, Gaza’s health ministry reported.
Another 54 Palestinians were killed and hundreds wounded on Wednesday near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza while waiting for food.
Footage from the aftermath showed victims being transported on carts to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Gazan authorities said that Israeli forces opened fire on crowds gathered around aid lorries.
The Israeli military claimed its troops only fired warning shots, and denied knowledge of any casualties resulting from their actions.
Some Israeli officials have claimed that gunfire may have come from within the crowd during altercations over access to supplies. Israeli soldiers and mercenaries working with GHF have told media outlets that their colleagues have shot directly at unarmed civilians near aid sites.
Despite claims from Israel that it is facilitating humanitarian aid, UN agencies and aid organisations describe the situation as “man-made, mass starvation”.
UN-backed experts have stated that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” among Gaza’s population of 2.1 million.
Over 156 deaths have been attributed to starvation and malnutrition, including at least 90 children.
While Israel has introduced daily “tactical pauses” in its military operations and designated humanitarian corridors to enable aid distribution, the UN says these efforts are insufficient.
It continues to report that large, desperate crowds are attempting to offload supplies directly from aid convoys due to the lack of consistent access.
Since the GHF began operations in May, the UN human rights office has recorded the deaths of at least 1,373 Palestinians attempting to access aid.
Most were allegedly killed by Israeli forces.
The UN says it has not seen any evidence that those killed posed a threat or were involved in hostilities.
It has refused to co-operate with the GHF’s system, citing safety concerns and violations of neutrality, impartiality and independence.
Airdrops of aid have continued, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reporting 43 packages delivered yesterday.
However, aid agencies insist that hundreds of trucks are needed daily, far more than the current average of fewer than 300.
In Jerusalem, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met with Netanyahu and warned of “a humanitarian disaster beyond imagination”.
He stressed that the Israeli government must act decisively to prevent mass starvation.
Germany has stopped short of joining allies such as France and Britain in moving to recognise a Palestinian state but reiterated that a two-state solution is the only path to lasting peace.
Meanwhile, pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire is growing.
Demonstrators, including families of hostages, protested outside Netanyahu’s office yesterday demanding an end to the war.
Negotiations stalled following the breakdown of talks in Doha, with both Israeli and US delegations returning home.
President Donald Trump has maintained a firm stance in support of Israel, stating on social media that “the fastest way to end the humanitarian crises in Gaza is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages”.
Nonetheless, he acknowledged earlier this week that Gaza faces “real starvation”, countering Israeli assertions that reports of hunger were exaggerated.
With Gaza’s death toll now reportedly exceeding 60,000, and horrifying images of emaciated children continuing to circulate, the international community is calling for urgent action.
Canada and Portugal are among the latest nations to signal plans to recognise a Palestinian state, adding to the pressure on Israel and its allies to reach a diplomatic solution and end the suffering.
With reporting from David Mac Redmond and AFP
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