Is It Important to Call Israel’s Carnage in Gaza ‘Genocide’?
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Pedro Sanchez of Spain labels Israel’s mass killings of Palestinians in Gaza as ‘genocide’
Sanchez calls on the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel. At least 76 people have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since May. More than 56,000 Palestinians are thought to have died in the conflict. The UN and rights groups say food and medicine are still scarce in the territory, with frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on civilians gathering for rations. In May, Spain recognised Palestine as an independent state, a move Sanchez described as “historic” and consistent with international law. The move reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.
“Gaza is in a catastrophic situation of genocide,” Sanchez said ahead of an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.
He called on the European Union to immediately suspend its association agreement with Israel, citing a report that said there were indications Israel was breaching its human rights obligations.
Sanchez’s comments came as rescuers said at least 76 people had been killed by Israeli forces, amid continuing attacks and extreme shortages of food and medicine.
Continuous support for Palestine
Sanchez has been among the most vocal critics of Israel’s genocide, but this is the first time he has explicitly used the term.
The Israeli embassy in Madrid condemned the remarks, accusing Sanchez of “demonising” Israel and placing Spain “on the wrong side of history.”
The Spanish government summoned the Israeli charge d’affaires in response, calling the reaction “unacceptable.”
Last May, Spain formally recognised Palestine as an independent state, alongside Ireland and Norway — a move Sanchez described as “historic” and consistent with international law.
He said the step aimed to support peace, not target any party, and reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.
Related TRT Global – Spain pushes EU to cut trade, halt arms to Israel over Gaza offensive
Aid workers report dozens killed
Gaza’s civil defence agency meanwhile said Israeli forces had killed at least 76 people on Thursday alone.
Mohammad al Mughair, the director of medical supplies in the agency, said the toll came amid increasing Israeli violence around aid distribution points.
More than 56,000 Palestinians — mostly civilians — have been killed in Gaza since October, according to health officials in the territory.
The UN recognises the health ministry’s figures as credible.
Some 11,000 Palestinians are feared buried under rubble of annihilated homes, according to Palestine’s official WAFA news agency.
Experts, however, contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.
Gaza’s population of over two million faces widespread hunger after nearly nine months of attacks and blockades by Israel.
While Israel began allowing limited aid into the territory in late May, the UN and rights groups say food and medicine remain scarce and distribution is chaotic, with frequent reports of Israeli forces firing on civilians gathering for rations.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel has killed nearly 550 people near aid distribution points since late May.
Israel, Palestine, and the Consequences of Moral Coarsening
A Nazi bomber dropped a 1,000-lb bomb on a school in southeast London in 1943. Thirty-two children were killed instantly, and six died later. A video last week of an IDF bombing of, yes, a former school, shows the silhouette of a toddler lost in a fireball, trying to find her way out of the burning building. It takes an extreme sociopathology to do that kind of evil, and we saw how sick they are on October 7. Hamas chose to sacrifice its women and children as a horrifying weapon in their asymmetrical warfare. But as Hamas put its children at intolerable risk, the IDF also went ahead and killed them anyway. And in a battle already largely won, against an enemy on its last legs, the moral justification for continuing on this scale becomes harder and harder to discern. And if we ever forget that, or reduce it to a “to be sure” throat-clearing, our souls have been irreparably broken. The responsibility for this is shared.
A recent Netflix documentary recovered and re-colored video footage of the Blitz in London during the war. I’d been brought up only a couple of decades later and the Blitz was still embedded deep in the national psyche. My own great-grandmother had been killed by a bomb hitting her home, and my mother often recounted being thrown to the ground by the whoosh of a nearby V2 bomber in the last phase of the war.
I didn’t appreciate the full fiery, deafening vortex of human incineration until I saw the documentary. Searing in every sense of the word. But even in that circle of hell, one moment stood out. On January 20, 1943, in the middle of lunch-hour, a Nazi bomber dropped a 1,000-lb bomb on a school in southeast London. Air raid sirens had not sounded. Thirty-two children were killed instantly, and six died later. The country all but stopped for a moment and took its breath. Even after three years of horror, the mass murder of children took the Brits to the edge of unendurable grief. Seven thousand people turned out for the mass burial. A memorial is there till this day.
All war is hell; but war against children is a special kind of hell. And if we ever forget that, or reduce it to a “to be sure” throat-clearing, our souls have been irreparably broken. Yes, the Allies also killed countless children in the devastating raids on German cities in response, prompting even Churchill to ask himself: “Are we beasts? Are we taking this too far?” But both Brits and Germans did what they could to evacuate as many children as they could to towns and villages in the countryside.
I mention this because what we have been witnessing in Gaza these past 614 grisly days is this very atrocity: the mass killing of defenseless children. A video last week of an IDF bombing of, yes, a former school, shows the silhouette of a toddler lost in a fireball, trying to find her way out of the burning building. She had just seen her parents and older sister burned and buried alive—although when the New York Times found her later, she was still calling for her mom and dad in the hospital where she lay.
The responsibility for this is shared. There are countless miles of deep tunnels where civilians could have been protected from the IDF onslaught from the skies—but Hamas chose to sacrifice its women and children as a horrifying weapon in their asymmetrical warfare. It takes an extreme sociopathology to do that kind of evil—and we saw how sick they are on October 7. But as Hamas put its children at intolerable risk, the IDF also went ahead and killed them anyway.
It will be said that Hamas started this war, could still end it by disarming and surrendering the hostages, and cannot now complain that Israel is intent on finishing it off. All true. But if the gap between Hamas’ military capacities and Israel’s was huge but not impregnable on October 7, 2023, it is now overwhelming. The ability of Hamas, or any of its guerrilla allies, to threaten Israel’s security right now is close to non-existent. And in a battle already largely won, against an enemy on its last legs, the moral justification for continuing on this scale becomes harder and harder to discern.
What, after all, is Israel attempting to accomplish by escalating the war in Gaza now? Defeating the remnants of Hamas? When, one wonders, would the last remnants actually cease to exist? How would we know?
The attempt by the IDF to leverage collective civilian hunger to put pressure on what’s left of Hamas is another war crime—and Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, agrees. The deadly and chaotic new attempt to provide food by U.S. and Israeli entities shows how hard it will be for Israel to govern Gaza going forward. Yes, we can question whether this is or is not a “famine” strictly speaking; or blame Hamas for stealing food. In fact, we should. But what we cannot deny is that Israel is using the malnutrition of children as a weapon of war. Because after 614 days, despite a massive firepower advantage over Hamas, in an area of a mere 141 square miles, Israel still insists it isn’t in control and still hasn’t won.
Really? Look at how Israel’s security has grown in these 614 days. Writes John Spencer:
Hamas had 5 brigades, 24 battalions, 30-40k trained fighters, 20,000 rockets, held terrain, could conduct coordinated attacks and defenses. Today, it has none of that. Hamas does not have a military capable of organized operations, it has a guerrilla force made up of untrained, inexperienced, radicalized mostly youths (average age of a Hamas replacement soldier is in the teens) with limited military equipment continuing to use civilians as human shields and human sacrifice. Hamas is losing political control.
What actual threat from a ragtag group of “untrained, inexperienced, radicalized” teenagers can justify the continuing mass civilian carnage? No, it is not genocide, and it is ugly and hideously insensitive to call it that; but it is a military campaign inflicting civilian casualties far beyond the exigencies of Israeli security.
The only truly dangerous threat to Israel is Iran’s nuclear program; and the Gaza carnage has isolated Israel from the allies and powers, including the United States, it needs on its side. Netanyahu has finally lost the support of the British, French, German, Italian, and Canadian governments over the Gaza “surge.” Global opinion of Israel is at historic lows, with a European favorability rating of just 29 percent, compared with 62 percent unfavorable. The younger generations in the wealthy West—less attuned to the history of the Jewish people—are anti-Israel by huge margins.
The Germans—long the staunchest defenders of the Jewish state—are in agony. Here’s Chancellor Merz: “What the Israeli Army is doing in the Gaza Strip right now—I honestly don’t understand what the goal is in causing such suffering to the civilian population.” The U.S. president, no neocon, went on a tour of the Middle East and smartly skipped Israel. The UAE, critical to the Abraham Accords, can’t stomach the ever-more provocative government anymore. Of the 15 members of the UN Security Council, 14 just called for an immediate ceasefire.
And what does “total victory” actually mean? A while back, I supported Israel’s attempt to enter Rafah as the last redoubt of Hamas. But today we’re told everywhere in Gaza is now the last redoubt of Hamas, and so the end of the war has become like an Irish goodbye, or one of those symphonies that seems to end—and then doesn’t, and doesn’t, and doesn’t. There is something manic and desperate about the IDF’s actions in Gaza right now. They know they’ve lost their way but have no idea how to extricate themselves. And the thing about knowing you have killed so many children is that it will require you to suppress a sense of their humanity in order to maintain sanity and carry on. The cost of that moral coarsening is huge.
And the day after, if there ever is one? That essential question remains unanswered. The Netanyahu government doesn’t want an Arab/European military or administrative presence to stabilize the place, which is the only viable way forward. So a permanent Israeli police and military force on every block? Or settlements in a wasteland inhabited by people who now hate Israel with ever deeper passion? Seriously?
Parts of the Netanyahu government, of course, have already told us their preferred end-game. The finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has described it as “no retreat from the territories we have conquered, not even in exchange for hostages… Once we stay in Gaza, we can talk about [declaring] sovereignty.” When you observe the parallel settler activities on the West Bank, and their murderous eliminationism, the logic is unavoidable.
Now that revenge has been slaked, and Gaza turned into smoking ruins, and the smoking ruins have been bombed again, the only conceivable rationale for this further intensification is eventual Israeli sovereignty over all the land in Israel/Palestine, along with a possible population transfer that would make 1948 seem mild.
That, it appears, is where we’re headed if something or someone doesn’t intervene to drag Israel back to normalcy and perspective. But how many more children must die, I wonder, before we get there?
Andrew Sullivan writes “The Weekly Dish,” where a version of this piece was originally published. Click here to subscribe.
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Transformations in European Attitudes toward the Genocidal War on Gaza
Recent weeks have seen a remarkable shift in European policy on Gaza. After more than 18 months of support for, silence on, or, at the very least, turning a blind eye to, Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and even Germany have ramped up criticism. Other countries have taken diplomatic, legal, and economic measures, indicating that Europe has begun to lift the cover it has provided for Israeli policies in Gaza since 7 October 2023. Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway, which had already taken a critical stance earlier into the genocide, called for the State of Palestine to be admitted as a full member of the United Nations. This follows official warnings from Paris, London, and Berlin that they will review relations and impose sanctions on Israel, and the joint announcement by seven European countries on 16 May 2025 calling on Israel to end the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and allow unhindered access for humanitarian aid, warning of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip.
This follows official warnings from Paris, London, and Berlin that they will review relations and impose sanctions on Israel, and the joint announcement by seven European countries on 16 May 2025 calling on Israel to immediately end the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and allow unhindered access for humanitarian aid, warning of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip. Moreover, escalating tensions between Israel and most European countries have been reinforced by calls to link relations with Israel to its commitment to international law and the rights of the Palestinian people.1
I: Background
The relationship between Western European countries and Israel took shape within the framework of a special strategic partnership, founded on political and historical considerations related to the persecution of Jews in Europe that peaked with the Holocaust, the alliance between Israel and the United States, and intertwined interests in trade, defence, and technology. For decades, European countries have maintained “Israel’s right to self-defence”, avoiding the adoption of clear positions on ongoing Israeli violations of Palestinian rights. This bias became more evident after Operation Protective Edge on 7 October 2023, when the aforementioned major European capitals responded with positions identical to the White House, condemning the attack and emphasizing their support for Israeli military operations aimed at eradicating Hamas’ rule in Gaza. However, the course of the war on Gaza, now in its twentieth month, particularly since Israel broke the ceasefire and resumed its onslaught on 18 March 2025, has exposed civilians to widespread crimes against humanity. Furthermore, Israel is pursuing a policy to block aid and instigate mass starvation. This situation has pressured European governments, leading to a gradual divergence in European positions toward Israel, which can be classified under the two main tendencies explained below.
1. Traditional support based on heritage, armament, and strategic partnerships.
Germany represents the core of this trend, based on its “historical and moral commitment” to Israel, a cornerstone of its “supreme national interest”. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published in April 2025, German military exports to Israel amounted to approximately €326 million in 2023 alone, 33% of total Israeli arms imports.2 These exports include defence components, radar technology, and light and heavy weapons, making Germany the largest European supplier of arms to Israel by far. However, the German position has gradually begun to change, at least rhetorically, due to the escalating massacres in Gaza. In May 2025, Berlin announced that it would not export any weapons used in violation of international humanitarian law. Chancellor Friedrich Merz was reported saying, “the massive military strikes by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip no longer reveal any logic to me – how they serve the goal of confronting terror.”3 In the same context, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the situation in Gaza as “unbearable”, adding that “where we see dangers of harm, we will of course intervene and certainly not supply weapons so that there will be further harm”, marking a new precedent in relations with Israel.
Likewise, the UK exported to Israel military equipment, aircraft parts, and radar systems valued at approximately £18 million in 2023. Despite widespread domestic protests against Israel’s devastating assault in Gaza, the British government refused for several months to call for a full ceasefire, contenting itself with supporting “temporary humanitarian pauses”. Although London later joined France and Canada in threatening punitive measures against Israel, it has not yet announced a comprehensive arms export freeze.4 In addition, countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary have maintained steadfast support for Israel, driven by their right-wing conservative backgrounds and economic and security partnerships. These countries represent the hard line within the European Union against any punitive measures against Israel and have repeatedly abstained from voting on resolutions condemning the aggression or demanding a truce, emphasizing Israel’s “right to defend itself”.
2. Escalating criticism based on progressive political and legislative positions
In contrast to the pro-Israel camp, an axis of progressive European countries emerged including Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia, later joined by France and Italy. These countries have been distinguished by their more critical stances toward Israeli policies and by their adoption of practical steps, including suspending arms exports, recognizing the State of Palestine, and supporting legal action before the ICJ.
Spain leads the European camp in rejecting Israel’s policies in Gaza, having suspended all military exports to Israel since October 2023 and cancelled existing contracts for the import of Israeli ammunition. Spanish Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra, described Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “genocide” and called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be tried before the International Criminal Court. In May 2024, Spain formally recognized the State of Palestine and later joined the judicial process in The Hague.5
Ireland and Norway have followed a similar approach, albeit with a less strident tone. They suspended military cooperation with Israel, supported all UN efforts calling for a ceasefire, and recognized the State of Palestine as part of a joint initiative.6 Slovenia later joined this initiative, strengthening the European bloc’s call for a rebalancing of relations with Israel.
The French position gradually evolved from absolute support for the Israeli offensive, which included a call by French President Emmanuel Macron to form an “international coalition” against Hamas, to a sharply critical stance of Israeli policies. He stated on 30 May 2025, that the humanitarian blockade was creating an unbearable situation on the ground, and that “if there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation […], we will have to toughen our collective position”. He called for sanctions against settlers. France also expressed its willingness to recognize the State of Palestine if a just political settlement is not agreed.7
Italy also underwent a shift in its support for Israel. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni revealed to Parliament that her government had effectively frozen all new arms export licenses to Tel Aviv since the outbreak of the war.8 Despite the varying tone of the rhetoric, this axis represents a growing European trend toward taking international law and human rights into account in relations with Israel. It reflects mounting popular and elite pressure on the continent, which could translate into genuine punitive policies in the future. The shift has accelerated since April, as a result of the intensification of the blockade and looming famine in Gaza.
II: European Discourse: From Self-Restraint to Diplomatic Confrontation
Since April 2025, European-Israeli relations have been put to the test, with the conflict of values and interests more prominent than ever before. European discourse on Israel has undergone a qualitative shift driven by the deteriorating humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, with frequent human rights reports of systematic starvation, deliberate targeting of civilians, especially women and children, and ramped up forced displacement. These developments have placed increasing internal pressure on European governments, driven by massive popular protests and the positions of major human rights and journalistic organizations. This has forced them to reevaluate their traditional relationship with Israel, particularly in light of the contradiction between their rhetoric on international law and their practical positions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The most prominent manifestations of this shift have been:
1. Escalating criticism and the use of diplomatic tools
Many European countries have begun to adopt a more vociferous tone in addressing Israel, going beyond “calls for restraint” to direct threats of punitive measures. On 19 May 2025, Britain, France, and Canada jointly declared that Israel’s continued blockade of Gaza and blocking of aid constitutes a “violation of international humanitarian law”, and threatened to impose sanctions on Israeli officials, an unprecedented move against an ally state.9 This escalation is a telling indicator of the erosion of the political immunity Israel has long enjoyed in its relations with its Western allies.
2. Recognizing the State of Palestine
France and Belgium are considering taking the same major symbolic step taken by Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia, which formally recognized the State of Palestine in May 2024. This comes amid eroding confidence in Israel’s ability to respect political solutions or humanitarian rules in war. According to Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, “If France moves, several countries will follow”.10
3. Recalling Ambassadors and Reviewing Relations
Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal have taken additional steps, including recalling their ambassadors from Tel Aviv.11 Belgium and Spain have both cancelled previous military and trade agreements with Israel and demanded a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which grants Israel trade privileges within the European market, despite its repeated violations of the human rights provisions of the agreement.
4. Review of Military Exports to Israel
Since Germany warned against exporting weapons that could be used in potential violations of international law, the German position toward Israel has undergone a rapid shift, culminating in May. Internal and external pressures have mounted, and public support for Israel has fallen to just 12 percent. Tel Aviv is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to prevent Berlin from imposing formal restrictions on arms exports, amid an increasingly critical German tone. Foreign Minister Wadephul confirmed that its relationship with Israel will undergo a thorough legal review and emphasized the need for Germany to adhere to the same principles demanded of other countries, such as Russia. This change in the political and popular mood has been accompanied by civil movements within Germany demanding a halt to arms exports, while the German government faces a growing domestic challenge from coalition parties, some of which have now explicitly called for a halt to arms shipments to Israel. Germany’s unconditional support for Israel is facing an unprecedented test, at a time when questions are growing within Berlin about the limits of this relationship amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.12
This European shift demonstrates that the traditional consensus on support for Israel is no longer stable, and that moral and legal considerations are playing a greater role in reshaping relations between European capitals and Tel Aviv, at a time when the latter is becoming increasingly isolated on the global stage.
III: The Prospective Shift in European Positions on Israel
Despite the noticeable shifts in European positions on the Israeli war on Gaza, their repercussions of this these developments for both the Israeli and Palestinian sides remain governed by a number of constraints that limit their actual impact, particularly with continued US support for Israel and the absence of a European consensus on decisive punitive measures. The European Union does not treat Israel as a normal state like any other country; rather, it enjoys numerous privileges in terms of customs duties, visa exemptions, scientific cooperation agreements, and support for Israeli universities. No steps have yet been taken to halt these privileges, let alone impose sanctions. The potential repercussions of the shift in the European position on the Israeli war of extermination on Gaza can be summarized in two main points:
The shift in the European position weakens the diplomatic cover that the Israeli occupation has long enjoyed in international forums. Some European governments have shifted from explicit defence of Israel to sharp and direct criticism, even threatening unilateral sanctions, especially after growing evidence emerged of the use of starvation as a weapon in Gaza and the refusal to allow humanitarian aid into the country. While this shift does not change the essence of strategic relations with some major powers, such as Germany and France, it creates clear cracks in the traditional Western consensus supporting Israel. Furthermore, a review of the European-Israeli Association Agreement, one of the economic pillars of trade exchange, is now on the table. This could disrupt Israel’s economic plans and deepen its isolation in Western markets, even if it does not escalate as far as immediate or comprehensive cancellation. The increasing calls for recognition of a Palestinian state, the return of the Palestinian issue to the heart of official European debate, and the involvement of a number of European countries in legal proceedings against Israel before the ICJ – even if symbolically – enhance Palestinians’ ability to use international law as a tool for political confrontation. Increased recognition of the State of Palestine represents not only diplomatic gain, but also opens the door to expanding legal and institutional representation and pressures governments that have not yet recognized it to reconsider their positions. However, this path remains fraught with obstacles. Most of these countries, especially those that have recognized the Palestinian state, lack direct implementation tools on the ground, nor do they have the power – unilaterally – to stop the war, lift the blockade, or impose a political settlement. Meanwhile, Washington wields the leverage over any negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Its most effective tools remain limited to the symbolic and diplomatic realm, unless the European Union countries decide to transform these positions into actual pressure within the bloc, by suspending agreements or imposing clear conditions on funding joint projects.
Conclusion
The marked escalation in European rhetoric toward Israel, the calls by several European countries to accept a Palestinian state as a member of the United Nations, and the threat by yet more European countries to recognize the State of Palestine, indicate a significant shift in the structure of traditional Western positions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. However, despite its political implications, this shift remains governed by multiple structural constraints, most notably continued US support for Tel Aviv and its dominance over political negotiations, known as the political or peace process, and the reluctance of some major European capitals to go too far toward punitive measures or reshape the strategic relationship with Israel on new foundations.
* This Paper was published by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies on June 4, 2025.
1 “Ireland officially recognizes the State of Palestine,” IrishCentral 28/5/2024, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zSmb
2 Zain Hussain and Alaa Tartir, “Recent trends in international arms transfers in the Middle East and North Africa”, SIPRI,10/4/2025, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zRpM
3 “Germany shifts tone on Israel over ‘incomprehensible’ Gaza carnage,” Reuters 27/5/2025, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zRZ8
4 “Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Canada on the Situation in Gaza and the West Bank,” GOV.UK, 24/5/2024, accessed on 31/5/2025, at:
https://acr.ps/1L9zSc3
5 “Spain Intervenes in ICJ Case on Genocide Prevention in Gaza,” Middle East Monitor, 29/6/2024, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zRQC
6 James Landale, “Spain, Ireland and Norway Formally Recognise Palestinian State,” BBC News 28/5/2024, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zRsO
7 “France may Toughen Stance on Israel if it Continues Blocking Gaza Aid, Macron Says,” Reuters 30/5/2025, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zSfe
8 “Meloni: The Italian ban on arms exports to ‘Israel’ is the strictest in Europe,” Arabi 21, 17/10/2024, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zRqj
9 “Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Canada on the Situation in Gaza and the West Bank”
10 “France May toughen Stance on Israel if it Continues Blocking Gaza aid, Macron Says.”
11 “Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal summon Israeli ambassadors, and the European Union calls for accountability,” Alquds.com, 22/5/2024, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zRG0
12 “Majority of Germans Oppose Arms Exports to Israel: Poll,” TRT Global, 27/5/2025, accessed on 31/5/2025, at: https://acr.ps/1L9zRU1
Global pressure mounts on Israel amid Gaza carnage and regional shifts
U.K., France, and Canada issued a joint statement warning of potential action against Israel over the Gaza war. European leaders hinted at punitive measures ranging from economic boycotts to sanctions and divestment. The U.K. government summoned the Israeli ambassador and announced a suspension of free trade negotiations with Israel. The EU will launch a review of its partnership agreement with Israel, focusing on the human rights clause. The European Union announced it would push within the EU to impose sanctions on specific Israeli ministers over Israel’s treatment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The Israeli government is betting that European “discontent” will not translate into concrete actions, Netanyahu pressed forward with the war of annihilation and forced displacement in Gaza, a source said. He escalated military operations under the code name “Gideon’S Chariots” immediately after President Trump returned from his Gulf tour to Washington. The White House officials confirmed that Trump is dismayed by the ongoing war in Gaza and wants to see the conflict resolved.
While Israel is betting that European “discontent” will not translate into concrete actions, Netanyahu pressed forward with the war of annihilation and forced displacement in Gaza. He escalated military operations under the code name “Gideon’s Chariots” immediately after President Trump returned from his Gulf tour to Washington.
Despite Trump’s reported “frustration” over images of starving children in Gaza, Netanyahu showed no restraint, instead lashing out at leaders in Paris, London and Ottawa, accusing them of emboldening Hamas by condemning what they labeled “shameful acts” by his government.
According to the Axios news site, White House officials confirmed that Trump is dismayed by the ongoing war in Gaza. Disturbed by images of Palestinian child suffering, he reportedly asked aides to convey to Netanyahu his desire to see the conflict resolved.
“The president is frustrated with what’s happening in Gaza,” one source told Axios. “He wants the war to end, the hostages released, humanitarian aid to enter and reconstruction to begin.”
An Israeli official, however, told the outlet that Netanyahu does not feel significant pressure from Trump at the moment.
While Trump has not exerted public pressure on Tel Aviv, other global leaders have stepped in. The U.K., France, and Canada issued a joint statement warning of potential action against Israel over the Gaza war. French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said they would not “stand idly by” in the face of Netanyahu’s government’s “shameful conduct.” They threatened “concrete measures” unless Israel halts its offensive and allows humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“We are determined to recognize a Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution and are ready to work with others to achieve that goal,” they said in the statement, referencing a planned U.N. conference in June aimed at building international consensus on Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu responded angrily, saying Western leaders were “offering hope for a second Palestinian state through which Hamas will again attempt to destroy the Jewish state.”
To show seriousness, the U.K. government summoned the Israeli ambassador over the military escalation in Gaza and announced a suspension of free trade negotiations with Israel as a signal that humanitarian access must be restored.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Tuesday that the EU will launch a review of its partnership agreement with Israel, focusing on the human rights clause.
“There is strong support to review Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement regarding respect for human rights,” she said. “So we will proceed.”
Sweden’s foreign ministry also announced it would push within the EU to impose sanctions on specific Israeli ministers over Israel’s treatment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
“As long as we do not see a clear improvement in the situation of civilians in Gaza, we need to escalate our response,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said.
She clarified that the sanctions would target ministers promoting illegal settlement policies and opposing a two-state solution. The names of the officials will be discussed at the EU level.
In Washington, Vice President Vance canceled a planned visit to Israel to avoid signaling support for the expanded Israeli military campaign in Gaza. U.S. officials told Walla News that Vance dropped the visit due to the level of destruction caused by the “Gideon’s Chariots” operation.
The ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza
Netanyahu is facing growing criticism both inside and outside Israel for continuing a destructive war in Gaza that has now lasted 20 months without achieving a decisive victory over Palestinian resistance factions. Observers note that ending the war through a deal with Hamas would likely collapse Netanyahu’s coalition, which seeks to realize the vision of “Greater Israel” by annexing Gaza and the West Bank.
Humanitarian organizations warned that Israel’s 11-week blockade of aid supplies has pushed Gaza to the brink of collapse. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has committed mass atrocities that have left more than 187,000 Palestinians dead, wounded or missing — mostly women and children — and forcibly displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents.
Daily massacres continue from north to south amid the collapse of essential services and shortages of food, water and medicine. A small number of aid trucks have been allowed in — largely for propaganda — while the full closure of crossings has persisted for more than 80 days. The U.N. warned thousands of children face famine unless aid is drastically increased.
The UNRWA voiced deep concern, stating that “people in Gaza are dying” while food and medical supplies are rotting at border crossings. European officials continued to threaten “concrete actions” against Netanyahu’s government if aid entry and attacks don’t cease.
Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader General Yair Golan condemned the war, accusing the Israeli army of “waging war on civilians” and killing children “for sport.” He asserted that displacement is the war’s main objective, prompting outrage in Israel and abroad.
“We will expand the ground operation and destroy terrorist infrastructure,” Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi declared.
He said Hamas has only one option: release the hostages. He added the military is ready to adjust if a ceasefire deal is reached.
Netanyahu recently recalled his negotiating team from Doha after a week without progress. Families of Israeli captives condemned the move, saying it proves the government has no real plan to end the war.
“Bringing the team home means losing the hostages and sinking further into Gaza,” they said.
A Channel 13 poll found that 67 percent of Israelis support a deal to end the war and bring the hostages home, even if it requires halting the fighting. Only 22 percent oppose such a deal.
Hamas, for its part, accused Netanyahu of deceiving the world by sending a delegation to Doha with no mandate or intention to negotiate. The group said the intensifying assault and deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure show Netanyahu’s commitment to war and destruction.
A weak summit in Baghdad
With most Arab leaders absent, the Iraqi capital hosted the 34th Arab Summit last Saturday, focusing on key regional issues, especially Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.
Regarding the Palestinian issue, the summit’s final statement rejected all forms of displacement or forced migration of the Palestinian people under any pretext or circumstance. It emphasized the centrality of the Palestinian cause, reaffirmed the right to self-determination and called for the establishment of a Palestinian state, the right of return and compensation for refugees.
The statement also condemned “the illegal practices of the Israeli occupation as a belligerent force” and demanded “an immediate cessation of Israeli aggression on Gaza.” It urged the international community to assume its moral and legal responsibilities, to stop the bloodshed and to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza.
The summit endorsed the Arab-Islamic plan adopted by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction, and supported full Palestinian membership at the United Nations.
The summit also welcomed the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria and the easing of European sanctions, calling for an inclusive national dialogue involving all components of the Syrian population.
On Lebanon, where Israel continues to violate the ceasefire agreement, the summit called for safeguarding Lebanon’s security and territorial integrity, ending hostilities and fully implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. It also condemned Israel’s violations of that resolution.
However, Yemen’s government in Sanaa dismissed the summit’s outcomes as “weak and failing to meet the Arab public’s expectations to support Gaza.”
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi reaffirmed Yemen’s unwavering stance in supporting Gaza, declaring that “the Israeli enemy has failed to influence our position or deter us.” In his weekly address on Gaza and regional developments, he revealed that Yemen had launched eight ballistic and hypersonic missiles and drone attacks in the past week, with three missiles aimed at Lod Airport (Ben Gurion Airport).
He accused Israel of escalating genocidal crimes and condemned the passive response of Arab and Islamic governments, criticizing those whose ships continue to supply Israel through the Mediterranean with food and goods.
Al-Sharaa reaches out to Israel, hands over archive of Israeli spy Eli Cohen
Amid growing Western optimism about lifting sanctions on Damascus, signs emerged last week of a developing relationship between the new Syrian government and Israel. Israeli Channel 12 reported that Syria’s transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa handed over the archive of Egyptian born, Israeli spy Eli Cohen to Israel as a goodwill gesture to ease tensions.
In line with this Western opening, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the EU had agreed to lift economic sanctions on Syria to support its post-war recovery. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani welcomed the decision.
However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Syria’s transitional government faces enormous challenges and is potentially “weeks away” from collapse and civil war. Speaking at a Senate hearing, Rubio urged the lifting of sanctions, arguing that failure to support the new government could lead to devastating consequences and further division of the country.
He revealed that Trump’s administration will begin allowing U.S. diplomats in Turkey to work with local authorities in Damascus to assess humanitarian needs.
“We want to help that government succeed,” Rubio said. “The alternative is all-out civil war.”
In a surprising disclosure, former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford revealed in a lecture (posted to YouTube by the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs) that he had met Al-Sharaa as part of a quiet effort to transition him “from the world of terrorism to the world of politics” with help from a British conflict-resolution NGO. Ford’s remarks triggered widespread controversy, prompting the Syrian presidency to issue a clarification.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office announced the return of approximately 2,500 documents, photos and personal items belonging to Eli Cohen from the Syrian intelligence archives. Israel claimed the operation was conducted by the Mossad in coordination with an undisclosed intelligence partner.
Separately, Israel said on May 11 that it had retrieved the remains of soldier Tzvi Feldman, who was killed in Lebanon in the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yaqub, through another “special operation” in Syria. Although Israeli media claimed Syria’s new government was not involved, analysts questioned that, especially after the arrest and interrogation in Damascus of Talal Naji, leader of the Popular Front – General Command. The investigation focused on the location of secret graves of three missing Israeli soldiers from the 1982 battle.
These developments coincided with reports of U.A.E.-brokered mediation between Syria and Israel on intelligence matters. Reuters reported quiet negotiations between the two sides, confirmed by Syrian President Al-Sharaa during his visit to France. Speaking after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace — his first official visit to Europe — Al-Sharaa confirmed indirect talks were underway to reduce tensions.
He described Israel’s regional actions as “reckless” and urged it to stop interfering in Syria’s internal affairs.
Ortagus pushing Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, threatening aggressive measures
U.S. Deputy Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus called on the Lebanese government to decide on “disarming Hezbollah”, stating that Lebanon still has “much to do” on this front.
“Lebanese officials have accomplished more in the last six months than likely in the past 15 years,” she said at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha
Ortagus reiterated Washington’s position: full disarmament of Hezbollah — not only south of the Litani River, but throughout Lebanon. She urged Lebanon’s leadership to “make a decision.”
Hezbollah, meanwhile, rejected any discussion about disarming north of the Litani.
Ortagus has visited Lebanon multiple times since Trump took office, pressing for disarmament as part of the post-conflict phase following Israel’s ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement signed on November 27.
During past meetings with Lebanese officials, she warned of possible aggressive measures if Hezbollah’s weapons issue remains unresolved.
In recent weeks, Israel escalated airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, including the Bekaa Valley, even as residents prepare for municipal elections. Despite Israeli threats to block gatherings near the border, popular sentiment — particularly on social media — reflected growing determination to participate in the vote as a form of defiance.
Iran-U.S. negotiations amid threat of imminent Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites
Amid leaks suggesting an imminent Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites, Washington and Tehran are preparing for a fifth round of indirect talks in Rome, under Omani mediation.
Iran’s parliament reiterated that uranium enrichment levels must not fall below 20 percent, and will be set based on the country’s peaceful needs.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that if Washington’s goal is to halt enrichment entirely, “there will be no deal.” Speaking on Iranian TV, he described the talks as “a battle of wills” and affirmed Iran’s right to enrich uranium domestically with infrastructure developed by local scientists.
While open to temporary technical restrictions and enhanced inspections, Araghchi insisted on lifting sanctions in return. He ruled out dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, saying it is “homegrown and cannot be dismantled.”
Araghchi also said that Israel opposes the talks and has tried to push the U.S. into war with Iran. He mocked Israeli threats to strike nuclear sites, calling them “laughable” in reference to CNN reports citing U.S. officials.
“If Israel launches any aggression against us, we will consider the United States a full partner in that attack, whether it participates directly or not,” he warned.
Arab League calls for funds to rebuild Gaza at summit in Baghdad
Arab leaders have urged the international community to fund their plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip. The war on the Palestinian territory dominated the summit, especially after Israel approves plans to expand its offensive. “This genocide [in Gaza] has reached a level of ugliness unparalleled in all conflicts in history,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in his opening speech at the 34th Arab Summit. Earlier this year, he caused an uproar by declaring that the US would turn Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East”, prompting Arab leaders to come up with a plan for rebuild the territory. The Arab plan for Gaza proposes rebuilding the Palestinian enclave without displacing its 2.4 million residents. The talks in the Iraqi capital came only a day after Trump completed his Middle East tour, triggering hopes of a ceasefire and the renewal of aid delivery to Gaza. The Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Sharaib missed the summit after several powerful politicians voiced opposition to his visit.
Arab leaders have urged the international community to fund their plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip after United States President Donald Trump reiterated a proposal to take over the Palestinian territory.
An Arab League summit held on Saturday in Baghdad said in its final statement that it urged “countries and international and regional financial institutions to provide prompt financial support” to back its Gaza reconstruction plan.
“This genocide [in Gaza] has reached a level of ugliness unparalleled in all conflicts in history,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in his opening speech at the 34th Arab Summit, which was dominated by Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
He said Iraq backed the creation of an “Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts”, adding that Iraq will contribute $20m towards the fund and another $20m for Lebanon, which has also been in conflict with Israel.
The Iraqi prime minister said Baghdad rejects “the forced displacement of Palestinians”, calling for an end to “the massacres in Gaza, the attacks on the West Bank and the occupied territories”.
“We have called, and continue to call, for serious and responsible Arab action to save Gaza and reactivate the UNRWA,” he said, referring to the UN body for Palestinian aid.
Saturday’s talks in the Iraqi capital came only a day after Trump completed his Middle East tour, triggering hopes of a ceasefire and the renewal of aid delivery to Gaza.
‘Carnage unfolding in Gaza’
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez – who have sharply criticised Israel’s genocide in Gaza – were guests at the summit.
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“We need a permanent ceasefire now, the unconditional release of the hostages now, and the free flow of humanitarian aid ending the blockade now,” Guterres said.
Spain’s Sanchez said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must end “immediately and without delay”.
“Palestine and Spain are working on a new draft to be presented to the United Nations, where we are demanding Israel to end the unjust humanitarian siege laid to Gaza and to allow for the unconditional delivery of relief aid into Gaza”, he said.
He also said there must be “more pressure on Israel to end the carnage unfolding in Gaza by all the conceivable means, namely the tools available under the international law.”
“And here, I would like to announce that Spain will present a proposal to the General Assembly for the International Criminal Court to examine Israel’s compliance with the delivery of relief aid into Gaza,” the Spanish prime minister added.
In March, Israel ended a ceasefire reached with Hamas in January, renewing deadly attacks across Gaza and forcing a blockade of food and other essential items. In recent days, Israel has intensified its offensive, as tens of thousands of Palestinians are forced to starve.
At a preparatory meeting of the Arab League summit, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said they will try to endorse decisions that were made at their meeting in Cairo in March to support Gaza’s reconstruction as an alternative to Trump’s widely condemned proposal to take over the enclave.
During his visit to Qatar, Trump on Thursday reiterated that he wanted the US to “take” Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone”. Earlier this year, he caused an uproar by declaring that the US would turn Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East”, prompting Arab leaders to come up with a plan to rebuild the territory, at a summit in Cairo.
The Arab plan for Gaza proposes rebuilding the Palestinian enclave without displacing its 2.4 million residents.
Besides Gaza, Arab officials also discussed Syria, which only six months ago entered a new chapter in its history after the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
Earlier this week, Trump in Riyadh met Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose group spearheaded the offensive that toppled al-Assad last December. Prior to their meeting, he also announced that US sanctions on Syria will be lifted in a huge boost to the government in Damascus.
Al-Sharaa, who was imprisoned for years in Iraq on charges of belonging to al-Qaeda following the 2003 US-led invasion, however, missed Baghdad’s summit after several powerful Iraqi politicians voiced opposition to his visit. The Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani represented Damascus instead.
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Saturday’s summit also came amid Iran’s ongoing nuclear talks with the US. Trump has pursued diplomacy with Iran as he seeks to stave off a threatened military strike by Israel on Iran, a desire shared by many of the region’s leaders.
On Thursday, Trump said a deal was “getting close”, but by Friday, he was warning that “something bad is going to happen” if the Iranians do not move fast.
Iraq has only recently regained a semblance of normalcy after decades of devastating conflict and turmoil, and its leaders view the summit as an opportunity to project an image of stability.
Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed said the summit was “very crucial” for Iraq.
“This is the first time the summit has been held in Iraq since 2012 and Iraq takes it as a credit to regain its rule as a player to bridge the gap between member states of the Arab League,” he said.