MEPs discuss the EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza. In March, Parliament adopted a resolution warning about the desperate food insecurity and impending starvation in Gaza. Opening statement by Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

EU - Israel (T)

freedom of press and media (T)

humanitarian aid (T)

BORRELL FONTELLES, Josep (PSE, ES, EC)

Situation in the Middle East (T)

EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip: Opening statements by Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, Dear President, Excellencies, more than six months after the Hamas terrorist attack that we continue condemning in the strongest possible terms the war started in Gaza. This is a watershed moment for the Middle East. We had yesterday the meeting with the Gulf countries, and this was very high in our agenda. The recent Iranian strike in Israel was also a clear escalatory attack. But we must not forget at the same time, the gravity of human suffering in Gaza.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, The figures are there. More than 34,000 people killed, mostly civilian, women, children, twice this number wounded, 75% of the population displaced at the brink of famine. We know that dozens of children have been already starved to death. The situation in Gaza has been more destroyed at the German cities during the Second World War. Just imagine the comparison.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, A recent interim damage assessment by the World Bank and by the United Nations, which has been supported financially by the European Union, says that that damage of about 90 billion. This would be the cost of rebuilding the infrastructure of Gaza. The way was at the end of January, so imagine now much worst. We can say that more than 60% of the physical infrastructure has been damage and 35% fully destroyed.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, At least 249 aid workers have been killed. I'm talking about aid workers. According to the United Nations, since the 7th of October. Among them, 181 United Nations staff. And I think that we have to pay tribute to all aid agencies, including UNWRA, which UNWRA alone has lost 178 employees.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, Then come this Israeli strike against a convoy of the World Central Kitchen that killed seven humanitarian workers while they were delivering aid to the most vulnerable in Gaza. But keep in mind, we were very moved by these seven people being killed. But before them, they were 249 also being killed. And maybe we were not as moved. And people around the world says, yes, that's very bad. These seven humanitarian workers deserve all our homage. But keep in mind that together they were 249 more. Together with Commissioner Lenarčič, we publicly call for a credible investigation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, We are also appalled by the number of journalists and media workers which has been killed by the strike in Gaza. About 100 journalists and media workers, as per reporters without Borders recount in less than six months.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, This is unprecedented. Journalists are civilians and they are voices are crucial to keeping this information at bay and citizens being informed. And we are also concerned about the newly adopted legislation giving temporary power to the Israeli government to prevent foreign media networks from operating in Israel. This, coupled with a lack of access to foreign media to Gaza, raises further concern about what do we know about what's going there.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, We have to repeat once again that Israel respect to international law to implement the International Court of Justice Provisional measures and ensure the protection of all civilians alone and humanitarian workers to do their lifesaving job without being targeted. For the first time to the Israeli Defence Forces recognises that this was a dramatic error, but it was a mistake, the killing of these humanitarian workers. The question is how many mistakes have been happening before without being recognised?

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, We insist on the fact that journalism has to be protected and to grant access to Gaza to ensure the freedom of press. European Union Council has insisted, and I am here representing the common ground of all Member States, according with the decisions, the conclusions of the European Union Council, that the new media imposed leading to a sustainable cease fire, unconditional release of hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance is the guidelines of the European Union as decided by the European Council on the 17th of April.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, But we have to do more and ask everybody to do more to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian catastrophe by increasing the flow of humanitarian aid, which is not unimpeded threat, which is not an obstacle. Yes, there are obstacles. And yesterday, my colleague Lenarčič was explaining the number of conditions that this aid has to fulfil in order to be allowed to come into Gaza. We need more access by land road, more access point.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, The recent decision by Israel to open the border on the Erez Crossing point are positive news. But they have to be implemented. It is not a matter of announcing. It's a matter of doing and by the time being is doing in a very slow pace and very low quantity. This is a fact. Quicker checks and better distribution remains crucial to alleviate people suffering, and it's crucial that Israel comply with United Nations Security Council binding Resolution 2728, demanding full humanitarian access. And on that, also, the Europeans are fully behind.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, Finally, ground operation in Rafah must be avoided. There are more than 1.3 million people on the streets of Rafah without no more shelter that a piece of plastic over their heads. And humanitarian consequences would be a catastrophe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, Everybody say that. The US, European Union, Member States. We insisted on the G7. We insisted on the Foreign Affairs Council. Let us say that is not going to happen. And then we have to say that the work of UNWRA has to be supported. And yesterday, former minister Catherine Colonna report that Secretary General Guterres tasked her on oing has been issued. And I think that it is important to read this report, it's important to know what this very independent and very professional group of people have been studying and what they tell us.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, I think there is a strong convergence of views between the analysis and recommendation of this independent review group with the measures that we have been discussing at the European Union institutions. We are now waiting to see how do we continue our cooperation with UNWRA, because what the report says is that they haven't found any proof of the accusations done against some workers of UNWRA and that yesterday some problems of a political neutrality. But this is one thing and another thing is to participate in the terrorist attacks of the 7th of October. And we welcome the cooperation. And as Ms. Colonna said, it is irreplaceable save line for hundreds of thousands of people calling the international community to fund UNWRA in order to make this institution to continue their work.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, I have to pay tribute to the seven humanitarian workers killed when they were working for the World Central Kitchen, but also to the 249 people who were killed before. I had to pay tribute to all the victims of the Hamas attack and the Israeli army against Gaza, to more than 100 journalists and media reporters. And we have to ask for this tragedy to end. And I repeat, the European Union Council asked for the implementation of the United Nations resolution, asked for immediate release of the hostages, asked for more access for humanitarian support, as for the humanitarian pause that brings to a permanent ceasefire, and most important, ask to look for a political solution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, We cannot say this is just a humanitarian problem. It is, and it has to be immediately faced, but it is a political problem and we have to join our forces, as we agreed to do yesterday with the Gulf countries in order to look for a political solution that can only be based I believe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, 'We believe at the European Union on the two-state solution and if there is someone who doesn't believe on that solution, then he has to tell us which is the alternative.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, You don't want the Palestinian to have your their own state in order to live in peace and security side by side with Israel. If don't you want this solution, you have to tell the international community which other solution you have in mind in order to ensure peace, prosperity and security for these two people that for too many years has been fighting for their same land.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP, We condemn all terrorist activities, but we want humanitarian law being respected, and we want the austerities to stop, humanitarian support to come in, the hostages being released, and a political process to put in place in order to look for a political solution to this dramatic war. Thank you.