Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, accused Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir of inciting war crimes in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He called for sanctions against them due to Ben Gvir's call to cut fuel and aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip. Borrell stated, "While the world pushes for a ceasefire in Gaza, Minister Ben Gvir calls for cutting fuel and aid to civilians. Like Minister Smotrich's sinister statements, this is an incitement to war crimes. Sanctions must be on our EU agenda. I support UN @Volker_Turk in his strong condemnations."
He further added that, "Like Minister Smotrich's evil statements, this constitutes incitement to war crimes. Sanctions must be on the EU agenda." In a subsequent tweet, he urged the Israeli government "to clearly distance itself from these incitements to commit war crimes and to engage in good faith in negotiations facilitated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt for an immediate ceasefire."
Just days prior, Borrell described the Israeli attack on a school housing displaced people in Gaza as "horrific," expressing "horror" at the images of the strike. He added, "At least 10 schools have been targeted in recent weeks. There is no justification for these massacres."
