EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has expressed horror over the Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza, condemning the attack and calling for urgent measures to protect civilians and address the escalating conflict.
According to top EU diplomat Josep Borrell, the airstrike conducted by Israel on a school in Gaza is not defensible. The attack was carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and has been reported to have resulted in approximately 100 fatalities as of Saturday.
Expressing horror at the images from the scene, Borrell stated that women and children were among the victims of Tabeen school in central Gaza City. It was reportedly being used as a shelter for displaced individuals, with local authorities warning that more casualties could emerge given some are still trapped under debris.
Upwards of 6,000 individuals were reportedly seeking refuge in the school when three Israeli missiles struck. Despite West Jerusalem’s claim that they targeted a “Hamas control center,” the Gaza-based Palestinian militant organization refuted having any presence within the facility.
Borrell expressed on X (previously known as Twitter) that in the past few weeks, at least 10 schools were deliberately attacked. He further emphasized that no reason could justify such brutal massacres. Borrell also conveyed the European Union’s distress over the extensive loss of lives caused by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On October 7 of last year, Hamas launched an unexpected strike on Israel which caused violence to erupt. During this attack, the militants targeted Israeli settlements near Gaza and tragically claimed approximately 1,100 lives while also taking over 200 hostages.
After West Jerusalem launched a bombing campaign, they followed it up with a ground operation in Gaza. As per the records of the Gaza Health Ministry, approximately 39,800 Palestinians lost their lives during these hostilities. Borrell mentioned in his post that this number was at 40,000.
On Saturday, Moscow expressed its disapproval of the Israeli assault and stated that it was profoundly disturbed by the situation. Russia is urging Israel to abstain from attacking non-combatant locations,” according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who also claimed there is no reason or rationale for such actions.”
Numerous countries, like Qatar, Egypt and the United States have endeavored to broker a peace pact between the antagonistic factions. The White House issued an announcement last Thursday that was supported by Doha and Cairo; it encouraged both parties involved in conflict to finalize a truce agreement as well as exchange captive Hamas members with Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the proposal, labeling it as a “surrender” and a “dangerous trap,” which caused distress in Washington. John Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Adviser stated that President Joe Biden’s administration will not permit extremists to disrupt proceedings.
On Saturday, Borrell chastised Smotrich and censured the finance minister for his refusal to support the agreement. According to him, in order to halt civilian deaths and ensure hostage liberation, a ceasefire is necessary.
