Israel's actions in Gaza and Russia's actions in Ukraine should not be compared – European Commission

European Commission Spokesman Eric Mamer has explained why the European Union does not call Israel's actions regarding the blockade of the Gaza Strip a "war crime" or an "act of terror", while it said this about Russia's strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Mamer's briefing in Brussels

Details: Mamer said the comment about the "act of terror" that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine in October 2022 was made in a "very specific context, when there was an unprovoked attack by a country against the UN Security Council’s member, a peaceful neighbour".

"And now there is a situation where, I want to remind everyone, attacks from Gaza on Israel are ongoing, and therefore Israel is in a situation where it is defending itself in an extremely complex military operations’ theatre," Mamer added.

"That's why we can't judge now what actions Israel needs to take so that it can fight the Hamas terrorists who attacked its territory," Mamer said.

The European Commission spokesman noted that the EU has publicly and repeatedly called on Israel to follow international law and make every effort to ensure the safety of the civilian population.

The European Commission previously commented on Israel's decision to cut off electricity and water to the Gaza Strip, imposing a de facto blockade and large-scale bombing, saying that this was an aftermath of Hamas's actions.

At the same time, Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said some of Israel's actions contradict international law.

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