Sanctions against Israeli ministers ‘must be on EU agenda’ – Borrell

Inciting “war crimes” should have consequences, the bloc’s foreign policy chief has argued

Israeli ministers who incite “war crimes” should face EU sanctions, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said.

Borrell blasted two cabinet members – National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – in social media posts on Sunday. He urged the government to “unequivocally distance itself” from remarks made by the two regarding the military operation in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, Ben-Gvir criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for considering a US-endorsed ceasefire and urged increased pressure on the militant group Hamas, as well as the rest of the Palestinian population of the besieged enclave.

”If we cut off their fuel, within a week they would be on their knees. And if we stop the [aid] trucks, within two weeks they would be on their knees. So why are we going to do a deal, especially such an irresponsible deal?” he said in an interview with Radio 103 FM.

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Allowing two million Gazans to starve ‘may be moral’ – Israeli minister

Smotrich previously claimed that starving 2 million Palestinians is morally justified and lamented Israel's need for international legitimacy to conduct its war in Gaza.

”No one in the world would let us” starve the Palestinians, he said, adding: “You cannot fight Hamas with one hand and give them aid with the other.”

In a post on social media, Borrell urged the Israeli government “to unequivocally distance itself from these incitements to commit war crimes,” and to engage in ceasefire negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk reacted to Smotrich’s remarks by saying, “the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime.”

“This direct and public statement risks inciting other atrocity crimes,” he said. “Such statements, especially by public officials, must cease immediately, they must be investigated and if found to amount to a crime, must be prosecuted and punished.”

Washington has been urging Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal. In his public remarks, Smotrich “essentially suggests that the war ought to go on indefinitely without pause,” White House National Security Adviser John Kirby said last week.

READ MORE: Washington slams Israeli minister’s ceasefire criticism

Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir represent the right-wing of Netanyahu’s coalition government.

Hostilities broke out after Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel last October, resulting in the deaths of around 1,100 people and 200 others taken hostage. The Israeli response has claimed at least 39,800 lives, according to Palestinian health officials.