EU Commission disavows Genocide declaration concerning Gaza conflict

In a speech at the prestigious Parisian university, Sciences Po, Teresa Ribera, the Spanish vice-president, criticised the European Union's inability to agree on proposed sanctions against Israel. Her remarks, which referred to events in Gaza and used the term "genocide," have caused outrage in Israel and sparked a heated debate within the EU.

Ribera's speech exposed what she described as "Europe's failure" to act together and speak with one voice. However, a spokesperson for the EU Commission clarified that Ribera did not speak on behalf of the Brussels institution when she used the term genocide. The EU Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has not yet referred to Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip as genocide.

The proposed EU Commission sanctions measure against Israel involves suspending cooperation under the Horizon Europe research funding program. This measure, which has so far been opposed by Germany and Italy, aims to pressure Israel to change its actions in the Gaza Strip.

The EU Commission analysis accuses Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip of violating human rights and international humanitarian law. It mentions thousands of civilian deaths and a rapidly rising number of cases of severe malnutrition, particularly among children.

Israel defends its actions in the Gaza Strip as a necessary response to a terrorist attack by Hamas and other extremists on October 7, 2023. The country's goals in the Gaza Strip include the release of all hostages taken to the Gaza Strip and the dismantling and disarming of the terrorist organization Hamas.

A spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry dismissed Ribera's remark as baseless and unacceptable. The spokesperson further accused Ribera of becoming "the mouthpiece of Hamas propaganda."

The courts are responsible for deciding on the matter of genocide, as stated by the EU Commission spokesperson. No further information is provided about the specific events in Gaza that Ribera referred to as genocide. The controversy surrounding Ribera's speech highlights the complexities and sensitivities involved in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.