'This isn't just Israel's genocide. It's Europe's too': Irish MEP

ANKARA

An Irish member of the European Parliament on Friday criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for not calling for a truce in Gaza, where Israeli bombardment has killed over 11,000 Palestinians.

"Israel has spent a month pounding Gaza into rubble and filling the streets with children's blood," Clare Daly wrote on X, quoting a post by Von der Leyen.

"With European and American weapons, and European and American support. Still @vonderleyen cannot even say the word: 'ceasefire.' This isn't just Israel's genocide. It's Europe's too."

She also posted a video of her speech at the parliament's session on Wednesday, where she lashed out on "the apartheid state of Israel" for committing "genocide," starving Gazans, bombing hospitals, ambulances, journalists, and humanitarian routes.

"10,000 dead. One in 200 Gazans killed. A Palestinian child slaughtered every 10 minutes for a month, and Frau von der Leyen's answer to this graveyard for children is to tell Israel to avoid civilians," Daly continued.

"You can't even call for it to stop. You can't even call for a cease-fire. Well, of course, you cannot. Because these crimes against humanity are being carried out with your weapons, in your name.

"So do not come in here trying to wipe the blood off with belated concern. It's not just Israel's genocide. It's yours and The Hague isn't good enough for you," she said.

Israel has continued with its incessant air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip – including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship – since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.

Besides a large number of casualties and massive displacements, basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to an Israeli siege.

A total of 65 trucks, carrying food, medicines, health supplies, bottled water, blankets, and hygiene products, as well as seven ambulances, crossed from Egypt into Gaza on Thursday, taking the number of trucks that have entered Gaza since Oct. 21 to 821, according to the UN.

Prior to the start of hostilities, an average of 500 truckloads entered Gaza every working day.