CounterVortex

At a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels July 15, the bloc opted not to take punitive action against Israel over widespread evidence of war crimes and atrocities committed in Gaza. For weeks, the EU had been discussing a range of potential actions, including: suspending its free trade agreement with Israel, an arms embargo, banning the import of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, and ending visa-free travel for Israeli citizens. Instead of taking any of these measures—which advocates argue are necessary to avoid complicity in serious violations of international law—EU ministers pointed to an aid deal for Gaza struck on July 10 as justification for inaction. The details of that deal remain vague, and it has so far shown little on-the-ground impact. Amnesty International assailed the apparent quid pro quo as a “cruel and unlawful betrayal” of the Gazans.

The EU’s inaction follows a pattern that has existed throughout Israel’s assault on Gaza, whereby the United States and European countries have pushed for improvements in aid access that have time and time again proved to be temporary and incremental, rather than using their substantial diplomatic, economic and military leverage over Israel to rein in violations and end the war.

Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza is “beyond vocabulary to describe,” according to UN relief chief Tom Fletcher. Fuel is running short due to Israel’s near-total blockade, crippling hospitals and exacerbating water shortages amid soaring summer heat. Aid groups are seeing the highest malnutrition rates yet among children and pregnant women at health facilities, leading to deaths. And daily Israeli attacks on people attempting to access aid through the US/Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) are continuing.

Adapted from The New Humanitarian, July 18.

See our last report on genocide accusations against Israel.

Photo: Mohammed Zaanoun/TNH