The war in Gaza has turned the area into a graveyard for many of the most important principles of humanitarian law, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.

The European Union’s top diplomat described the conflict in the Gaza Strip as the greatest open-air graveyard in reference to civilian casualties among the Palestinian population.

EU foreign ministers are in Brussels to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, with sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank to be decided after the increased violence towards Palestinians in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Mr Borrell said EU foreign ministers would also debate the bloc’s association agreement with Israel but stressed that it was too early to discuss suspending it.

More sanctions on the Palestinian Islamist militant group were also expected, Mr Borrell said.

He also urged EU countries to take action over Israeli obstacles to humanitarian aid access in Gaza.

Germany, as “friends of Israel,’’ has made clear to the Israeli government that humanitarian aid in Gaza must be allowed to be delivered, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

“The millions of people in Gaza—many, many children who have not had enough food for weeks—need to be cared for.

“The suffering is simply unbearable,’’ Mr Baerbock said.

Mr Baerbock added that Germany and the EU were working every day to secure a humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. 

(dpa/NAN)