EU’s Costa calls on Israel to ‘stop killing people, stop destroying Gaza’

European Council President Antonio Costa criticized Israel's brutal military campaign in Gaza and renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire.

“Now it's time to cease fire, to stop bombing, to stop killing people, to stop destroying Gaza and to stop illegal settlements in the West Bank,” he said Wednesday during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.

Costa underlined that European countries had condemned the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel and repeatedly called for the unconditional release of the hostages, but also emphasized that Israel's actions in Gaza today cannot be explained by the right of self-defense.

“That's the reason we are calling for a ceasefire, for immediately ending the blockage of humanitarian aid and to stop the illegal settlements in the West Bank. But unfortunately, Israel is not listening to their friends,” he said.

“But it’s impossible for the European Union not to react when we watch day by day on television terrible images of what’s happening in Gaza and in the West Bank.” he added.

His remarks came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed new measures to increase pressure on the Netanyahu government, which included sanctioning Israel's extremist government ministers and violent settlers as well as partially suspending the EU's free trade deal with Israel.

Since the start of Israel's brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, more than 64,600 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 18,000 children, according to Palestinian authorities. The figures have also been confirmed by international organizations, including the UN.

Despite mounting international concerns about escalating ethnic cleansing and genocide against Palestinians, the Israeli army issued an evacuation order for all of Gaza City on Tuesday, forcing nearly 1 million people to abandon their homes and shelters and relocate to southern areas.

Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its interim ruling on Gaza last year, said that it's "plausible" that Israel's actions could amount to genocide. The court issued provisional measures requiring the Israeli government to abide by international law and ensure that aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza.