(Dan Tri) – The United Nations calls on the European Union (EU) not to apply double standards regarding the two ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres (Photo: Reuters).
At the EU summit in Belgium, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on European leaders to show respect for international law in Gaza similar to Ukraine, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had to
Mr. Guterres said that EU leaders need to continue to be strong and united in respecting the standards stipulated in the United Nations Charter and international law.
`The basic principle of international humanitarian law is the protection of civilians. We must adhere to the principles in Ukraine as well as in Gaza without double standards,` Mr. Guterres told reporters while standing next to President Trump.
A United Nations food agency has warned that `famine is imminent` in northern Gaza.
The EU consists of 27 member countries and they have long had quite clear divided views in their approach to the Israel-Hamas war.
In contrast, almost the entire EU sees Russia’s two-year war with Ukraine as an existential threat.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, one of the strongest supporters of the Palestinians, said: `To be honest, Europe has not responded sufficiently to the terrible crisis in Palestine. I think it has
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said: `Today we see many Palestinians trying to survive by eating grass. These people are on the brink of starvation. Europe needs to lead, not follow,
In the conclusion of the summit, the leaders expressed regret over the `unprecedented loss of civilian life and the dire humanitarian situation. The Council of Europe called for a humanitarian ceasefire
The Israel-Hamas war has forced 80% of Gaza’s population, including 2.3 million Palestinians, to flee their homes and UN officials say a quarter of the population is at risk of starvation.
Hamas’s attack on Israeli-controlled areas last October left about 1,200 people dead and 250 others kidnapped.
Concerns are growing about an imminent Israeli ground offensive against Hamas in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city near the border with Egypt.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once said that Israel cannot achieve its goal of `complete victory` against Hamas without entering Rafah.
EU leaders also called on `the Israeli government to refrain from the ground operation in Rafah`, saying it `will worsen the already dire humanitarian situation and prevent the delivery of basic services
German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, a supporter of Israel, also said: `We do not support a major attack in Rafah. I myself have emphasized that in Israel and we hope that now there will be
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that `what is happening today in Gaza is a failure of humanity. This is not a humanitarian crisis. It is a failure of humanity