The European Union urged Israel to demonstrate "maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians," even as it acknowledged and condemned Hamas's use of hospitals and civilians as "shields."
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell issued a statement on Monday at a meeting of the block's foreign affairs ministers on behalf of the 27 nations in which he highlighted the dangerous environment facing Palestinian civilians in Gaza from both Hamas militants and Israeli forces.
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"The EU condemns the use of hospitals and civilians as human shields by Hamas," he said. "Civilians must be allowed to leave the combat zone. These hostilities are severely impacting hospitals and taking a horrific toll on civilians and medical staff. The EU emphasizes that international humanitarian law stipulates that hospitals, medical supplies and civilians inside hospitals must be protected."
Hamas has embedded itself within and underneath densely populated civilian areas in Gaza, including at and under schools, mosques, and hospitals. In recent days, Israeli forces have fought against Hamas militants who have taken cover in these civilian-designated areas.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the situation “terrorist squad embedded itself in the area of the ‘Al-Quds’ Hospital, fired from the hospital entrance at IDF soldiers, and was subsequently eliminated.”
"The shooting was carried out by a terrorist squad that had embedded itself within a group of civilians at the entrance of the hospital," the statement continued. "The soldiers identified a terrorist squad with two RPG launchers amongst the civilians. As a result of the shooting carried out by the terrorists, a tank was damaged. The soldiers fired toward the terrorists. During the exchange of fire, civilians were seen leaving the hospital building, and other terrorists who came out of adjacent buildings hid among them and joined the attempted attack. After the terrorists fired RPGs, they returned to hide in the hospital."
The IDF said roughly 20 militants were killed in the incident.
Thousands of Palestinian civilians, many of whom have fled to the hospitals as a hopeful safe haven, have been killed since Israel started its military campaign in Gaza following the unprecedented Oct. 7 terror attacks. While Israeli military officials have maintained that they only strike military targets, the civilian death toll has raised significant backlash globally, including by the Biden administration, though it continues to support Israel broadly.
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More than a million Gaza residents have been displaced by the war, while Israel's airstrikes in the initial stage of the war caused significant infrastructure damage.
"The EU is gravely concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The EU joins calls for immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, so that humanitarian aid can safely reach the population of Gaza," Borrell added. "Hospitals must also be supplied immediately with the most urgent medical supplies and patients that require urgent medical care need to be evacuated safely. In this context, we urge Israel to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians."