Berlin, Jan 16, IRNA — The European Union’s Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel strongly criticized Israel for its shelling of the main UN compound in Gaza, branding it “not acceptable.”
“I am deeply shocked and dismayed over the incident,” Michel was quoted saying
in a statement in Brussels on Thursday.
The safety of the personnel working for the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) has to be ensured in their bid to help the
Palestinian population, he added.
The EU Commission was the largest donor of UNRWA in 2008 with 113 million
euros.
On Tuesday, Michel had already slammed Israel for its military onslaught in
Gaza, accusing the illegal Jewish state of breaching international human rights
laws.
“Israel ignores international humanitarian laws,” Michel told the Belgian
La Libre Belgique newspaper on Tuesday.
He stressed the obligation of Israel, as an occupying power, was “to preserve
the lives of the population, protect them, feed them and look after them.”
“This is clearly not the case and I cannot accept it. It’s even more difficult
to accept when it comes from a democracy,” the Belgian EU commissioner said.
Thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed
during the 20-day Israeli military slaughtering in Gaza.