EU Condemns Israeli Attacks on Gaza as Breach of Ceasefire

The European Union has formally condemned what it describes as repeated Israeli violations of an active ceasefire in Gaza, framing the issue as both a legal failure and a widening humanitarian emergency.

In a statement issued Sunday, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said Israeli strikes over the weekend had inflicted heavy civilian harm, underscoring how fragile the truce has become. The EU intervention signals rising concern in Brussels that ceasefire mechanisms are failing to contain violence or protect noncombatants.

We condemn the repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians were killed and injured by Israeli strikes over the weekend.

EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib

Lahbib added that international humanitarian law must be upheld and that civilians must be protected “everywhere and at all times.”

Repeated Attacks

The appeal situates Gaza within a broader legal framework, emphasizing obligations that apply irrespective of battlefield conditions.

The casualty figures cited by the EU draw on Gaza’s media office, which says 524 people have been killed and 1,360 injured in Israeli attacks since Oct. 10, 2025, despite the ceasefire.

The weekend violence added to that toll. On Jan. 31, Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 29 Palestinians in a single day, further eroding confidence in the durability of the truce.

“We Condemn the Repeated Violations”

The scale of loss has also entered Israeli official discourse. On Jan. 29, Israel’s military acknowledged Gaza Health Ministry fatality data for the first time, accepting a figure of about 71,000 Palestinians killed since the war began, according to Haaretz.

The Israel Defense Forces said the total does not include people missing under rubble, signaling that the real number could be higher. This acceptance marks a notable shift in how casualty statistics are publicly treated, even as fighting continues.

Parallel to the ongoing strikes, Israel is advancing measures that underscore the conflict’s long-term displacement dynamics. On Jan. 28, retired Brigadier-General Amir Avivi told Reuters that Israel had cleared land in Rafah for a large camp intended to house Palestinians, equipped with ID checks and facial recognition.

The disclosure comes as nearly 2 million Palestinians remain displaced across Gaza. Critics have characterized the planned facility as a continuation of genocide, while Israeli officials frame it as an administrative response to mass displacement.

Ceasefire Under Operational Strain

These developments place the EU’s condemnation within a widening operational context: active air campaigns, formalized casualty accounting, and infrastructure preparations for prolonged civilian displacement.

Brussels has not introduced new enforcement mechanisms, but its statement aligns with a growing international emphasis on civilian protection and legal compliance.

Taken together, the repeated violations amid the displacement of nearly 2 million Palestinians in the enclave, outline a conflict in which ceasefire arrangements coexist uneasily with ongoing military operations and large-scale population movement.

EU’s message centers on that contradiction: diplomatic pauses remain fragile unless backed by consistent compliance and civilian safeguards.