EU vice president says Gaza situation ‘looks a lot like genocide�
Teresa Ribera laments lack of EU action, double standard on human rights
OVIEDO, Spain
European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera on Wednesday described the situation in Gaza as a “tragedy of gigantic proportions” and said it closely resembles genocide.
“What we are witnessing has few precedents. If it is not genocide, it certainly looks a lot like one,” she said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Cadena SER.
Ribera, who is also responsible for consumer affairs and the environment in the EU, criticized the bloc’s slow response to the crisis in Gaza.
“How can we defend the human rights of some people, but not others? How can we look away from such a disproportionate use of force against a people that has a legitimate authority – the Palestinian National Authority – which has been working to avoid terrorism in its territory,” she said.
The day after the EU announced it would revise its trade agreement with Israel, she said the bloc’s response remains a “big question mark” as it is difficult to reach “unanimity.”
Ribera was previously the deputy prime minister in the Spanish government, which has been urging the EU to review its association agreement with Israel since February of last year.
Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez referred to Israel as a “genocidal state.”
On Tuesday, Spain also passed a non-binding motion urging a total arms embargo on Israel, even though the government has said it suspended the arms trade with the country after its Gaza offensive began.
Israel abandoned a January ceasefire with Hamas in March and has intensified its offensive in Gaza in recent days, expanding ground operations and carrying out massive airstrikes.
Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 have killed more than 53,000 people, and its ongoing siege is devastating the enclave, with the UN warning that 14,000 babies could die in Gaza within the next 48 hours due to the blockade.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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