Spanish
Brussels, June 26 (EFE).- Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin urged Israel on Thursday to stop denouncing every independent report on the situation in Gaza and to "undermine" those who question what is happening in the Strip.
"Israel has to stop denouncing every report that comes out using objective criteria to describe the situation in Gaza," Martin told the press upon his arrival at the summit of European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels.
"I think that kind of tactic and pattern of undermining those who question even what is happening in Gaza also has to stop," he added.
The Irish leader referred to the review of the association agreement with Israel that the European Union has carried out and which has determined that that country does not adhere to its obligations regarding human rights, as contemplated in article two of the treaty, as a result of its military operation in Gaza.
"Israel must respect all the clauses of that agreement, including those on human rights. There are differences of opinion at the table of the European Union. I recognize it," he pointed out.
In any case, I urged the EU to go further as countries like the United Kingdom have done and adopt sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank and against the ultranationalist ministers of Israel Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir.
"I will tell my European colleagues that the people of Europe find it incomprehensible that Europe does not seem to be in a position to pressure Israel to stop this war in Gaza, to stop the ongoing massacre of innocent children and civilians. The war must stop. There must be a humanitarian response and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the end of the blockade," he summarized.
For his part, Luxembourg's leader, Luc Frieden, said upon arrival that the situation in Gaza, from a humanitarian point of view, "continues to be terrible."
"We have always stood by Israel regarding its right to self-defense, but we cannot ignore the legitimate concerns of the Palestinians, their children, their women, their husbands; people need to have a perspective, an environment in which they can eat and live, and children need to be able to play," he emphasized.
Frieden said that "we must dialogue with Israel to give Palestinians the right to have a life, just like Israelis have and we have here in Europe."
The President of the Eurochamber, Roberta Metsola, who has just visited the region, stated that "the situation is critical" and "there is a broad request for de-escalation" of tensions between Israel and Iran, which "cannot be allowed" to develop nuclear capabilities.
"We need to ensure that the ceasefire is maintained, and also seek a ceasefire in Gaza so that the necessary humanitarian aid can enter and the hostages return," he indicated.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said that for some time now, the EU "can no longer really preach the rule of law due to our inadequate response to the atrocities that are occurring in Gaza."
"We should have done much more in the past, but it's never too late, today we are going to open the debate," she pointed out about the report in relation to the association agreement presented to the Member States on Monday by the EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas.
He regretted that "important member states" of the EU have prioritized their interests over the human rights of the Palestinian people.
"Unless the EU is going to do something tangible today or in two weeks, then each member state, including Slovenia, will have to take the following steps on its own," he emphasized.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said he spoke on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stated that he does not expect "any improvement in the situation in Gaza".
"The population cannot pay the price for Hamas's terrorism, and Netanyahu has assured me that he will reinforce and intensify all efforts in this direction so that humanitarian aid can also be delivered," he said.
