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JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Israel’s ambassador in Brussels, Haim Regev, warned Thursday that the European support for Israel is dwindling because of harrowing images of starving Palestinian children in Gaza.

His remarks, shared during a press briefing with Israeli journalists and reported by Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, reflect growing diplomatic concern in Tel Aviv over its deteriorating reputation across Europe.

Regev acknowledged that initial European support for Israel at the onset of its war on Gaza has “eroded” with many EU member states now demanding an end to the war and the release of Israeli hostages.

“The pressure from Europe to end the war is increasing,” Regev said. “The images coming from Gaza – particularly of starving infants and children with empty pots (from starvation) – are swaying public opinion across Europe.”

The diplomat’s comments come amid intensified global outrage over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which has killed nearly 53,800 people and displaced 1.5 million of the enclave’s 2.4 million residents and devastated civilian infrastructure.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 16,500 Palestinian children have been killed since the war began in October 2023.

Since March 2, Israel has maintained a strict blockade on Gaza, denying entry to humanitarian aid and pushing the territory into famine, which has already claimed numerous lives. Only 87 aid trucks were reportedly allowed entry – a fraction of the humanitarian need, with much of the aid stalled at border crossings.

Regev warned of a “dangerous political drift” in Europe and said recent inflammatory remarks by Israeli ministers have made it harder for diplomats to defend the government’s actions.

He also expressed concern over France’s initiative to recognize a Palestinian state at a June UN-hosted international conference in New York.

While 17 EU states are reportedly reviewing the Israel-EU partnership agreement, Regev dismissed the likelihood of its termination, citing opposition from unnamed "major and influential countries” and “the result of intense diplomatic work by the Foreign Ministry in recent weeks.”

On Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced a formal review of the agreement due to worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, describing the situation as “catastrophic.”

The UK also suspended trade negotiations with Israel and imposed sanctions on illegal Israeli settlers accused of violence in the occupied West Bank.

Earlier this week, France, the UK, and Canada issued a joint call for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza, urgent humanitarian access, and a diplomatic path toward establishing a Palestinian state.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 53,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November 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.