​​​​​​​Former European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused the EU of complicity in what he called Israel’s “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, describing it as the “largest ethnic cleansing operation since World War II.”

Speaking at the Carlos V European Award ceremony at Spain’s Yuste Monastery, Borrell condemned Israel’s ongoing genocidal war, which has devastated Gaza, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble and leaving over two million Palestinians without access to water, electricity, medical care, or food due to a complete blockade. “Three times more explosive power has been dropped on Gaza than the Hiroshima bomb,” he said, citing Israeli ministers’ statements as evidence of “genocidal intent” to erase or expel Gaza’s population.

He directly implicated European governments, stating: “Half of the bombs falling on Gaza are supplied by us.” Borrell accused Israel of using Gaza as a “testing ground for total annihilation” with the aim of transforming it into a “holiday resort” after eliminating or displacing Palestinians. He criticized the EU’s inaction, declaring, “The EU is not doing what it can, and that failure makes it complicit. There is no excuse.”

Human rights advocates and Palestinian solidarity groups have welcomed Borrell’s intervention as a long-overdue recognition of the crimes being committed. For many, his words affirmed what Palestinians and their supporters have long argued: that Israel’s siege on Gaza is not a war, but a genocide, and European silence equals endorsement.

Borrell’s speech adds growing pressure on Western governments to end their support for Israel’s war machine and respond with real consequences, including sanctions, arms embargoes, and accountability at international courts.

As the death toll in Gaza continues to climb, voices like Borrell’s are a stark reminder that the world is watching—and history will not forget. (ILKHA)