Anticipated prolonged combat in Gaza City, as per the Israeli military's predictions
In a move that has sparked controversy and division, the European Union (EU) Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has proposed trade sanctions against Israel in response to its military actions in the Gaza Strip. The proposed sanctions include suspending trade privileges and halting payments from EU international cooperation funds.
The proposals, which aim to target Israel’s military offensive and alleged violations of international law, are controversial due to division among EU member states. Some, like Germany, are initially hesitant, fearing the backlash or antisemitic interpretations of sanctions. On the other hand, others call for stronger measures to pressure Israel to change course amid human rights concerns.
The conflict in Gaza has been marked by intense violence, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres describing the situation as horrendous and on a scale he had not witnessed in any conflict during his nearly nine-year tenure as Secretary-General. A UN-appointed commission of human rights lawyers has concluded that Israel's military operations against Hamas aim to destroy the Palestinians, and Israel is accused of committing genocide.
Israel's government claims that civilians in Gaza are being used as human shields by Hamas, with a hidden network of command centers, rocket launchers, and weapon depots beneath civilian areas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas not to harm the hostages taken from his country.
Despite the army's evacuation calls, nearly 400,000 people have heeded them and left the city declared a combat zone, but this is less than half of the estimated one million residents of the city. Many Palestinians in Gaza cannot afford to flee due to high costs of transportation and living conditions in the humanitarian zones.
The EU Commission plans to present further concrete proposals for sanctions against Israel in response to its actions in Gaza. The Israeli army has announced the temporary opening of an evacuation route southwards in Gaza for exactly 48 hours. However, the army spokesman Effie Defrin stated that the ground offensive in Gaza could last many months.
The families of the hostages accuse Netanyahu of sacrificing their relatives for political reasons. Thousands of people have protested outside Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, with some wanting to spend another night in tents there but being carried away by the police.
The northern part of Gaza city is being systematically destroyed by Israel, according to the statement from aid organizations. Aid organizations have repeatedly criticized the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, stating that families eat animal feed to survive and boil leaves to feed their children. The rent for a car to transport belongings has reportedly skyrocketed to nearly 1,300 euros.
The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called on the German government to support the plans for trade sanctions or propose alternative leverage. Israel has condemned the report as scandalous, and Netanyahu has called for urgent action from the international community following the start of Israel's ground offensive in Gaza.
As the conflict continues, the European Union remains deeply divided in its handling of the Jewish state. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with no end in sight to the violence and humanitarian crisis.
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