Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, issued a stark condemnation of the European Union (EU) on Tuesday, accusing it of contributing to the ongoing destruction of Palestine through its policies and those of its member states.

Speaking to reporters at the European Parliament, Albanese criticized the EU for failing to uphold its international legal obligations toward Gaza and the broader Palestinian situation. She pointed to continued trade and military cooperation with Israel as a central concern, noting that efforts to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement have been blocked by countries including Germany and Italy.

Albanese highlighted ongoing arms transfers and Israel’s participation in programs such as Horizon Europe as evidence that the EU is not a passive observer, but an active participant in the crisis. She warned, “In my view, the situation is so dire that it is beyond comment.”

Describing conditions in the occupied West Bank as a form of “ethnic cleansing,” Albanese said that violence on a scale almost unprecedented in the past eight decades continues to target Palestinians. She further noted troubling European involvement, pointing out that many violent Israeli settlers hold citizenship in European countries and that numerous Europeans have served in the Israeli military.

Against this backdrop, Albanese dismissed discussions of a two-state solution as meaningless while the Palestinian population is “disappearing and their land is being seized or destroyed.” She issued a grave warning: “We are facing a new genocide, and we are at risk of being complicit in it.”

The UN expert argued that European complicity not only leads to the devastation of Palestine but also undermines the foundational principles of the EU itself. She also criticized the US President’s plan for Gaza as non-compliant with international law, referencing the International Court of Justice’s ruling on the illegality of Israel’s occupation, and reiterated the urgent need to suspend EU-Israel military cooperation.

Albanese’s remarks underscore growing international scrutiny of European policies in the Palestinian territories and call for immediate action to prevent further humanitarian and legal violations. (ILKHA)