António Costa says the situation in Gaza is intolerable

BRUSSELS– The President of the European Council, António Costa, said today that the situation in Gaza “is intolerable,” corroborating the words of the President of the European Commission, who called on Israel to “stop now.”
“The situation in Gaza is intolerable,” wrote the leader of the institution that brings together the heads of Government and State of the EU in a post on social media.
On the same day that the death of 21 children due to malnutrition and hunger in the last 72 hours in the Gaza Strip was reported, besides Costa, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also condemned the situation in the Palestinian enclave.
“Civilians in Gaza have suffered too much, for too long. This must end now. Israel must fulfill its promises,” urged the leader of the community executive.
For Ursula von der Leyen, “civilians must never be targets.”
“The images from Gaza are unbearable. The EU reiterates its call for a free, safe, and rapid flow of humanitarian aid and for full respect for international and humanitarian law,” she concluded.
Ursula von der Leyen has faced serious criticism for her position regarding the conflict in Gaza, especially due to the initial response considered biased and the silence in the face of alleged violations of international law by Israel.
Today, the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, stated that the killings perpetrated by the Israeli army against Palestinians who want to eat are “indefensible,” insisting that “all options are on the table” if Tel Aviv does not fulfill what it promised.
This position arose as more than 59,000 deaths have been recorded since the beginning of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in October 2023.
It is also estimated that around 470,000 people are at risk of severe hunger, with dozens of civilians killed while waiting for humanitarian aid in recent weeks.
As 21 months of war between Hamas and Israel are marked, Qatar, the United States, and Egypt are conducting difficult negotiations to achieve a ceasefire.
About two weeks ago, the EU reached an agreement with Israel to expand humanitarian support in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, with more crossing points and trucks with food.
Earlier, at the European summit at the end of June, in the conclusions then approved, the heads of Government and State of the EU “deplored the terrible humanitarian situation” in the Gaza Strip, perpetrated by Israel, considering “unacceptable the number of civilian casualties and the levels of hunger” with the blockade on the entry of trucks into the Palestinian enclave. (22/07/25)