European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that she will work to impose sanctions on “extremist” Israeli ministers and restrict trade relations due to the situation in Gaza, stating that a man-made famine cannot be used as a weapon of war.
اضافة اعلان
In a speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said: “What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People are being killed while begging for food. Mothers carry dead children. These images are catastrophic.”
She added: “For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity, this must stop.”
Von der Leyen indicated that the Commission will suspend bilateral support to Israel without affecting the work of Israeli civil society or the Yad Vashem Center in Israel.
The Commission had previously proposed limiting Israel’s access to its main research funding program but failed to secure sufficient support from EU member states to implement the measure.
She stated that the Commission will now do what it can independently.
Additionally, von der Leyen announced that the Commission will establish a donor group for the Palestinians next month, including a mechanism for the reconstruction of Gaza.
(Agencies)
