However, Israel then continued its operations in Rafah and bombed a refugee camp on Sunday, killing at least 45 Palestinians, more than half of whom were women, children and the elderly, according to Gaza health authorities. The strikes were widely condemned by European leaders.
“For the first time at an EU meeting, in a concrete way, I saw an in-depth debate about sanctions and the ‘what ifs’,” Martin said. He clarified that there is “some distance between those who express the need for a sanctions-based approach if Israel does not comply with the ICJ decision… and an agreement at the Council meeting, counts taking into account all the different perspectives present there.
“But there is a lot of concern…among member states about a clear situation in which the ICJ has ruled and issued interim orders, and the EU has always supported the independence of this court and the need for nations to comply with it,” he said.
“There has been a lively discussion on the interim orders of the International Court of Justice,” Martin said, with “very clear views that Israel should adhere to these interim orders to open the border crossing with Rafah and cease its military operations in Rafah.
“One of the conclusions was to convene a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council to express our serious concerns and… demand a response from Israel in terms of compliance with the Court’s orders,” he said.
“International humanitarian law and respect for human rights are the purpose of the European Union and current events really bring this issue to the forefront, particularly given last night’s attack in which so many innocent people were killed.”
Politico
