ANKARA

Some members of the European Parliament (EP) on Tuesday criticized the European Union for being an "accomplice" in Israel's actions violating international law and for perpetuating them.

The members of parliament criticized the EU's stance on Israel's actions violating international law during a session titled "EP's reaction to the killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists, and civilians by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip" held at the EP.

The EP Left Group member Manu Pineda condemned Israel's failure to implement interim measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), highlighting the deaths of journalists and humanitarian aid workers in Israeli attacks.

Pineda's characterization of Israel as a "tumor" in the Middle East sparked controversy, with some labeling it as antisemitic.

Another Left Group member, Clare Daly, accused the EU of complicity and silence regarding Israel's actions in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

Daly criticized the EU for cutting support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) without substantiating Israel's allegations against the agency.

She accused the EU of "waving the flag of the oppressor from day one" and condemned some EU countries for their actions.

Mick Wallace, also a member of the Left Group, condemned the timing of the session, criticizing the EU's provision of arms to what he described as a "genocidal apartheid regime."

He accused the EU of providing diplomatic cover for Israel's actions while failing to impose sanctions or take decisive action.

Wallace highlighted the EU's contrasting reactions to conflicts involving Russia and Israel, questioning the prioritization of geopolitical interests over human rights.

He concluded by questioning whether the EU considers the loss of children's lives in Gaza as an acceptable price to protect its interests.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian territory since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,200 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 77,000 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war, now in its 200th day, has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the ICJ, which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.