LONDON: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned Israel on Wednesday over the number of civilian deaths in Gaza and restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Her comments come as political pressure grows in Europe against Israel’s military campaign in the territory, which has killed almost 54,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

“Israel’s military operation in Gaza, the disproportionate use of force and the deaths of civilians cannot be tolerated,” Kallas said. “The continued targeting of civilian infrastructure is unacceptable.”

She called for a return to the ceasefire that broke down in March after less than two months, the release of all hostages and the permanent end to the conflict through negotiations.

Since ending the ceasefire, Israel has ramped up its operations, killing almost 4,000 people. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government this month ordered the military to take full control of the territory as it attempts to wipe out Hamas.

Israel has also taken over aid distribution after blockading supplies to Gaza for more than two months, leading to fears of a famine among the impoverished population.

A new aid distribution system that bypasses the UN has been set up in southern Gaza and is being run in conjunction with a new American organization. The system started to operate this week but has been heavily criticized by Arab and European governments, along with aid agencies.

“Humanitarian aid must never be politicized or militarized,” Kallas said. “The EU reiterates its urgent call for the immediate, unimpeded and sustained resumption of aid at scale, according to the needs of the civilian population in Gaza.”

She called for the UN to resume its role in distributing humanitarian assistance.

While much of the focus has been on the decimation of Gaza, Israel has also ramped up operations in the occupied West Bank and has been accused of encouraging settler attacks on Palestinians.

Kallas said intimidation campaigns, attacks, and the destruction of Palestinian homes by settlers have displaced entire communities.

“Israel must immediately take decisive steps to address this issue and ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable,” she said.

Her strong comments followed a rebuke of Israel on Tuesday from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in what has been seen as a shift in Berlin’s support for Israel.

“What the Israeli Army is doing in the Gaza Strip, I no longer understand the goal,” he said. “To harm the civilian population in such a way, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism.”

Last week, the UK, France and Canada issued a joint statement demanding Israel halt its military actions and threatened “concrete actions” if the slaughter continued. 

On Wednesday, Italy’s right-wing government also demanded an end to Israel’s assault saying it had become “unacceptable.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani warned against any attempt to forcibly remove the Palestinian population from Gaza — something Palestinians fear is underway after Netanyahu said he would offer “voluntary emigration” to other states for the territory’s population.

Netanyahu said last week that criticism from Western countries was “emboldening” Hamas, which led the October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and captured dozens of hostages.

The UK has suspended talks on a free-trade agreement with Israel and the EU has launched a review of its association agreement with the country. 

Kallas said on Wednesday that she aims to present options for the bloc’s next steps on June 23.