BEIJING, Saturday, October 14, 2023 (WAFA) – The European Union’s High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said yesterday during a press conference in China that Israel’s blockade on entry of water, food, fuel and medical supplies into the besieged Gaza Strip violates international law.

“Creating a blockage on water, food, fuel and medical supplies is not in accordance with the international law,” he said in answer to a question about the EU’s position on this Israeli decision.

“Yes, there is a deep worry about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, in particular due to the shortage of water, food and medical supplies, fuel and electricity.”

He described the Israeli army’s call on 1.1 million Palestinian civilians to leave their homes in the northern Gaza Strip and move south as “utterly unrealistic.”

“The expected move[ment]s that they should produce, of a large part of the population – we are talking about 1 million people – must be realistic. And certainly, this is utterly unrealistic, that 1 million people can move in 24 hours,” he said, explaining that this will leave devastating humanitarian consequences.

“About this warning of the Israeli Army for the civilians leaving the north of Gaza, certainly, civilians must be pre-warned. They must be alerted about incoming military operations in order to allow them to leave, which is what Israel has done,” he said, adding, “Yes, it is good to have a warning, but the warning has to be realistic in order to avoid devastating humanitarian consequences.”

Borrell said he supports the United Nations’ efforts to alleviate the situation in Gaza, “including via encouraging the creation of humanitarian corridors and allowing space for much needed humanitarian aid,” stressing, “We will further intensify our engagement with all regional actors and with key international partners in order to provide as much protection as we can to the civilians.”

M.K.