Kallas to EU Council: Israel's violations widely independently documented. Unprecedented level of civilian casualties. Attacks on hospitals and blockade of humanitarian aid
Based on the assessments carried out by independent international institutions, in particular the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are indications that Israel is violating its human rights obligations. These are the conclusions of the report that the High Representative for the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, sent to the Foreign Ministers of the Twenty-seven, in view of the discussion they will have in the EU Council on Monday 23 June in Brussels. Foreign ministers will have to decide whether to suspend the Agreement with Israel, or to take other measures or sanctions against the Jewish state, or to limit themselves to verbal warnings, requests or appeals without concrete consequences.
Based on verified facts and assessments carried out by independent international institutions
, and focusing on the most recent events in Gaza and the West Bank, the note provides a brief overview of the severe allegations of serious violations of international human rights law (IHRL) and international humanitarian law (IHL).
Reconstructing the context of the situation in Gaza, the report recalls that in response to the terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023, Israel launched an intensive military campaign, which involved the use of weapons with wide-ranging effects in densely populated areas. On March 2, 2025, for 11 weeks, the Israeli authorities imposed a total blockade on Gaza, prohibiting the entry of all supplies, including food, medicine and fuel. Aerial, land and sea bombardments and extensive ground operations caused civilian casualties, destruction of civilian infrastructure, including shelters and material essential to the population's survival, and large-scale displacement of people. Israel then initiated
a militarized distribution mechanism for food supplies
(Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - Ghf). UN humanitarian actors have expressed concerns about the Mechanism, which they consider incompatible with the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and inappropriate for the distribution of aid on a large scale. The Mechanism is associated with repeated incidents of shootings against Palestinians seeking access to food supplies, resulting in mass casualties. In the West Bank, the impact and obstacles to the enjoyment of human rights resulting from Israeli policies and practices are well documented (including by the International Court of Justice). Negative trends in discrimination, oppression and violence against Palestinians have worsened since 7 October, with increasing tension between Palestinians and Israelis (including settler violence ) and continued expansion of settlements. Reports refer to excessive and unlawful use of force with attacks by Israeli settlers, resulting in Palestinian casualties and injuries, killings of Israeli military personnel and civilians, serious violations against children, including killing and maiming of children, denial of humanitarian access (including for those in need of specialist medical care), attacks on schools and hospitals , and then arbitrary or unlawful arrests and detentions, ill-treatment and gender-based violence. In Gazathe humanitarian blockade indiscriminately affects the entire population. The unprecedented level of killings and injuries of civilians in Gaza has been a direct consequence of the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) failure to respect basic principles of international humanitarian law. Israeli forces have attacked hospitals across Gaza in an apparently systematic manner. These attacks have involved direct attacks, sieges, the use of snipers, raids and the apparent arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of medical personnel, patients and their companions, and internally displaced persons sheltering in hospitals, as well as the killing of many emergency health workers.
90% of Gaza's population has been displaced.
