BRUSSELS

European Union Council President Antonio Costa on Monday said Israel's right to self-defense does not justify indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure or collective punishment in Gaza, reaffirming the bloc's call for an immediate ceasefire.

In his address at the Bled Strategic Forum 2025, he reaffirmed the EU's condemnation of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and called for the unconditional release of hostages and an immediate ceasefire.

"At the same time, the right to self-defense does not justify the indiscriminate destruction of civilian infrastructures or the collective punishment of an entire population. We must be unequivocal. International humanitarian law applies to all parties," he said.

He expressed concern over developments that threaten the prospects of a future Palestinian state, including settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and ongoing displacement in Gaza.

"These developments risk undermining peace and destabilizing the broader region," Costa added.

- US visa ban of Palestinian officials

Costa also discussed the US decision to revoke visas for Palestinian Authority officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, which prevented them from attending the UN General Assembly.

"We are actively supporting diplomatic efforts and Palestinian representatives must obviously be allowed to participate in international forum, including or especially the United Nations General Assembly and the upcoming conference on the conflict," he said.

On Aug. 29, the US State Department said it was canceling visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the UN General Assembly in September.

Costa underlined that peace, dignity, and statehood for Palestinians are essential not only for the Palestinian people but also for Israel’s long-term security.

"We believe both are possible, but only if we act together, engaging more actively with our partners in the region, and speaking with one strong European voice," he said, highlighting the importance of unity within the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy.

"Unanimity in the Common Foreign and Security Policy is not a right to veto, but on the contrary, the special responsibility for each member state to build compromises in the speed of loyal operation," he noted.

Since March 2, Israeli authorities have completely closed all Gaza border crossings, pushing the territory’s 2.4 million population into famine.

A UN-backed food security assessment has already confirmed famine in northern Gaza and expects it to spread further south by the end of September.

The Israeli army, which resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18 after breaking the ceasefire that took hold in January, has killed more than 63,000 people in Gaza since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.