European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, September 10, she would push to sanction "extremist" Israeli ministers and curb trade ties over Gaza, as she warned famine could not be used as a "weapon of war."
Addressing the European Parliament, von der Leyen lamented that divisions among member states were holding back a European response and said the European Commission she leads "will do all that it can on its own."
Von der Leyen added: "What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People killed while begging for food. Mothers holding lifeless babies. These images are simply catastrophic." She then said: "For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity – this must stop."
The German politician, 66, said the commission would put its bilateral support to Israel on hold, stopping all payments, but without affecting work with civil society groups and Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
The EU's executive will also propose sanctions on "extremist ministers" – whose actions and words "incite violence" – and "violent settlers." It will also push for a partial suspension of an association agreement with Israel on trade-related matters.
But such measures will need approval by the bloc's 27 member states, which have been deeply divided on how to respond to Israeli actions in Gaza. "I am aware it will be difficult to find majorities," von der Leyen conceded. "And I know that any action will be too much for some. Too little for others. But we must all take our own responsibilities."