Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has delivered a damning indictment of both the United States and the European Union, revealing that over 550 starving Palestinians have been gunned down by American mercenaries at aid distribution points in Gaza — and accusing European institutions of complicit silence.

“In just one month, 550 Palestinians have been killed by US mercenaries while simply trying to get food,” Borrell posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, referring to the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a body controlled by the US and Israeli regimes under the guise of aid delivery.

“What’s worse,” Borrell continued, “is that the EU Commission and the EU Council remain shamefully unwilling to act against these crimes.”

Borrell, who ended his term as the EU’s top diplomat in 2024, has become an increasingly vocal critic of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. He has previously demanded a reevaluation of the EU’s relations with Tel Aviv, including its Association Agreement with Israel.

The GHF, set up in late May and jointly managed by the Israeli occupation and the United States, claims to coordinate humanitarian relief in Gaza. In reality, Palestinians and human rights groups say the foundation has become a trap — a death zone where desperate civilians seeking food are routinely fired upon by heavily armed guards.

A recent investigative report by the Associated Press confirmed these fears, detailing how American private military contractors — hired to "secure" GHF aid centers — used live bullets, stun grenades, and pepper spray against unarmed Palestinians. The AP report, backed by videos, audio evidence, and insider testimonies from two US contractors, highlights what whistleblowers described as "dangerous and irresponsible practices" by the so-called humanitarian outfit.

The report triggered outrage online, where users denounced both the actions of the mercenaries and the wider Western complicity in the Gaza massacre.

“US mercenary thugs… GHF and its operators are killing machines wearing humanitarian masks,” one user posted on X. Another called the operation a “sham to conceal a ruthless colonial agenda.”

Many also slammed the US media’s delayed coverage. “Thanks, AP — five weeks late and 600 lives too many. #TooLittleTooLate,” one user wrote. Another added: “Palestinians have been shouting this truth for weeks. Maybe now, the world will finally believe the victims of genocide — not their killers.”

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s brutal military onslaught on Gaza has killed at least 57,130 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Entire families have been wiped out, refugee camps and hospitals bombed, and children starved, while Western powers continue to offer military, political, and financial support to the apartheid regime.

Despite the mounting death toll and widespread evidence of war crimes, EU institutions have refused to take meaningful action against Israel or its partners. Borrell’s scathing remarks underscore growing frustration among European citizens and officials alike over the EU’s inaction in the face of what many are calling a genocide in real-time.

Calls are now intensifying for independent investigations into the GHF and for international accountability over the massacre of Gaza’s starving poor — crimes carried out, according to critics, not just by Israel but with the full backing of Washington and the silent approval of Brussels. (ILKHA)