EU's Top Diplomat Wants Two Right-Wing Israeli Ministers Sanctioned for Incitement to War Crimes

Head of European Union Foreign Policy Josep Borrell. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - The European Union's top diplomat wants two right-wing Israeli ministers sanctioned by the body, as the death toll from the conflict in the Gaza Strip, Palestine continues to rise.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said the bloc should consider sanctions against two right-wing ministers in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

He said this because comments by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were considered incitement to commit war crimes.

In a post on social media X, Borrell condemned Ben Gvir who once again urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cut off all aid and fuel to the Gaza Strip.

He also slammed Smotrich's "vile statements" and said he supported UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk in his condemnation, referring to the finance minister's recent statement that starving 2 million Gazans to get Hamas hostages back might be "justifiable and moral".

"Sanctions must be on the EU's agenda," Borrell wrote, as reported by The Times of Israel on August 12.

"I urge the Israeli government to firmly distance itself from incitement to commit war crimes," he said, adding that the Israeli government should show "good faith" in the ceasefire and hostage settlement negotiations facilitated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.

It is known that the three countries that are mediators are urging Hamas and Israel to meet and finalize the ceasefire proposal on August 15.

So far, Israel's aggression against Gaza, in response to attacks by Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas on southern Israel, has resulted in 39,790 documented Palestinian casualties, mostly women and children, in addition to 91,702 injured victims, quoted from WAFA.