In an open letter, 58 former EU envoys urge the bloc to end arms exports, sanction Israel, and act to stop what they call atrocity crimes.
To the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament, and to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union,
To the Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States,
We, the undersigned 58 former ambassadors of the European Union, were appalled and outraged by the slaughter of innocent Israelis and the taking of hostages by Hamas and others on October 7, 2023. No cause can justify such acts, and we unequivocally condemn them.
However, we are now witnessing the horrifying spectacle of Israel committing, on a daily basis, what amount to atrocity crimes against the Palestinian people—most notably in Gaza, but also in the occupied West Bank. These actions constitute a systematic campaign of brutalisation, dehumanisation, and displacement.
The European Union and nearly all of its Member States have failed to respond meaningfully to these grave violations.
As former EU ambassadors, we devoted our professional lives to upholding and promoting the core values of Europe and international law, enhancing the EU’s global standing, and defending the interests of its people. Those interests—and the Union’s credibility—are now in serious jeopardy due to this failure to act.
For over 21 months, the Netanyahu government has waged a relentless campaign of violence and destruction in Gaza. Around ten percent of Gaza’s population—including tens of thousands of children—have been killed, maimed, or seriously injured by indiscriminate Israeli military bombardments. Vast swaths of Gaza lie in ruins. Those who survive the bombs and bullets now face hunger, malnutrition, disease, and a health system that has been deliberately targeted and destroyed.
The ongoing siege is starving the population by obstructing humanitarian aid from UN agencies and international NGOs. The replacement of UNRWA and other well-established international aid providers with a politicised and militarised operation led by mercenaries constitutes a flagrant violation of the UN’s humanitarian principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence—principles which all UN member states, including Israel, are bound to uphold.
The concrete humanitarian measures reportedly agreed to under the arrangement secured by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas have not been made public, nor have they been confirmed by Israeli authorities. On the contrary, since Ms. Kallas’ announcement, hundreds of Palestinian men, women, and children have been killed by Israeli forces while desperately searching for food and water. This includes a disturbing number of civilian deaths caused by Israeli military shootings at Zikim—one of the key border crossings believed to be part of the EU’s humanitarian agreement with Israel.
Now, with appalling predictability, Israeli leaders are forcing large segments of Gaza’s population into so-called “concentration zones”—militarised enclosures intended to confine civilians under intolerable conditions, with the apparent goal of pressuring them into “voluntary” displacement. This, along with other unlawful Israeli policies in the West Bank, constitutes a de facto forcible population transfer—a serious war crime under international law. Senior Israeli ministers—including those of defense, finance, and national security—have openly called for the permanent removal of Palestinians from Gaza. A dedicated “migration administration” has even been established to facilitate this plan.
These are calculated steps toward ethnic cleansing.
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