EditEU’s Costa loses patience with Israel’s violence in Gaza
The strike on the European Hospital sent shockwaves through the international community
On 17 May, António Costa, President of the European Council, took to X to express his outrage over the escalating violence in Gaza. His stark statement marks a significant escalation in the EU’s rhetoric, reflecting growing frustration with Israel’s actions and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza
In a post that quickly garnered international attention, Costa wrote: “Shocked by the daily news coming from Gaza: civilians starving, hospitals hit again by strikes. Violence must stop! The Israeli government must lift the blockade now and ensure the safe, swift, and unimpeded access of humanitarian aid. What’s happening in Gaza is a humanitarian tragedy. A whole people is being subjected to crushing, disproportionate military force. International law is systematically violated. A sustained ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages are more urgent than ever.”
Costa’s words come against the backdrop of a conflict that has spiralled into one of the most severe humanitarian disasters in recent history. Since the onset of the Gaza war, international observers have documented a pattern of violence that has devastated civilian infrastructure, displaced entire communities, and pushed Gaza to the brink of famine. The European Council President’s post was not an isolated reaction but a culmination of mounting evidence of violations of international law, including attacks on protected sites like hospitals and a blockade that has choked off essential supplies.
Talks held in Doha since March have failed to restore a truce under which Hamas would release remaining hostages captured in the October, 2023 assault on Israel that precipitated the war. Hamas has long said it would not free them unless Israel ends its campaign; Israel says it will fight on until Hamas is dismantled.
Israel’s declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages.
Its military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people according to Gaza health authorities.
The European Hospital strike: a turning point
One of the most recent incidents fueling Costa’s outrage was an Israeli strike on the European Hospital near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, captured on CCTV footage and reported by AP News on 14 May. The footage shows the moment of impact, with the hospital – a designated safe haven under international humanitarian law – being hit by a missile.
While casualty figures from this specific strike remain unconfirmed, the attack fits a broader pattern of assaults on medical facilities. The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has repeatedly condemned such strikes, noting that hospitals like Kamal Adwan in northern Gaza have also been targeted, alongside shelters for displaced persons. These actions, according to UN experts, violate Israel’s obligations as an occupying power and constitute “indiscriminate attacks” that exacerbate the suffering of an already vulnerable population.
The strike on the European Hospital sent shockwaves through the international community, particularly in the EU, which has historically positioned itself as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For Costa, a former Portuguese Prime Minister known for his diplomatic approach, the attack underscored the systematic nature of the violence. His X post explicitly references hospitals being “hit again,” signalling that this is not an isolated incident but part of a recurring trend that has eroded trust in Israel’s commitment to international norms.
A starving population: Gaza’s famine crisis
Beyond the direct violence, Costa’s mention of “civilians starving” highlights another catastrophic dimension of the crisis: the looming famine in Gaza. A 13 May Wikipedia entry on the Gaza Strip famine cites a leaked UN document revealing that 95% of Gaza’s population is food insecure, with nearly 500,000 people facing near-famine conditions. The report notes that one in five households goes entire days without eating, a statistic that underscores the severity of the blockade imposed by Israel. Airstrikes have destroyed critical food infrastructure – bakeries, mills, and stores – while the blockade has severely restricted humanitarian aid, leaving the population in a state of acute malnutrition.
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, has described the crisis as “the long shadow of starvation stalking the people of Gaza,” a sentiment echoed by Costa’s urgent call to lift the blockade. The Gaza Media Office has held Israel, the US, and the international community accountable, arguing that the blockade and targeted destruction amount to a deliberate starvation campaign – a charge that aligns with UN experts’ July 2024 statement accusing Israel of causing child deaths through a “targeted starvation campaign.”
International law violations and EU frustration
Costa’s assertion that “international law is systematically violated” is supported by a litany of reports from UN bodies and human rights organizations. The OHCHR has accused Israel of undermining the legal framework for civilian protection in armed conflicts, particularly through its siege on northern Gaza and forced displacement of its population. The experts’ statement highlighted “indiscriminate attacks” and an “intensification of siege conditions” as deliberate attempts to displace and annex parts of Gaza, actions they deem contrary to Israel’s legal duties. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has explicitly called Israel’s total siege on Gaza “prohibited under international law,” a position that Costa’s post implicitly endorses.
The EU, under Costa’s leadership, has struggled to balance its historical support for Israel’s security with its commitment to humanitarian principles. Past statements from EU leaders, including Costa himself during his tenure as Portugal’s Prime Minister, condemned Hamas’s attacks while urging Israel to respect civilian lives.
A call for action amid growing impunity
Costa’s demand for a “sustained ceasefire” and the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” aligns with broader international calls for de-escalation. Yet, his pointed criticism of Israel’s blockade and disproportionate force signals a shift in tone. The EU has previously hesitated to impose punitive measures on Israel, fearing diplomatic fallout, but the worsening crisis may force a reckoning. UN experts have warned that Israel’s “continued impunity” sets a dangerous precedent, encouraging other conflict parties to flout international humanitarian law – a concern that Costa’s statement seems to share.
As of 18 May, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with no immediate resolution in sight. Costa’s public rebuke of Israel marks a critical moment for the EU, which must now decide how to translate its frustration into meaningful action. Whether through sanctions, diplomatic pressure, or support for UN-led investigations, the bloc faces a test of its moral and political resolve. For the people of Gaza, caught between violence and starvation, the stakes could not be higher.
Sources: X, AP, Wikipedia, OHCHR, Reuters, edited by g.g.
Caption: Palestinians pray in front of the bodies of their loved ones at the Indonesian Hospital after an Israeli airstrike on Jabalia’s Al-Tawba Medical Clinic, in Bait Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, 15 May 2025. At least 15 Palestinians were killed in the strike, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. [EPA-EFE/HAITHAM IMAD]
Updated: May 18, 2025 - 06:03
