*EU Says Strikes ‘Go Beyond What Is Necessary’ To Fight Militant Group
ISRAEL’S Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said its military has “eliminated” Hamas’s Gaza chief, Mohammed Sinwar, one of its most wanted men and brother of the group’s late leader, Yahya Sinwar.
Mohammed was the target of a massive Israeli strike on the courtyard and surrounding area of the European hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis on May 13, which the Israeli military said destroyed Hamas’s “underground infrastructure” there.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said 28 people were killed. Hamas itself has neither confirmed nor denied Sinwar’s death.
Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, was killed by Israeli troops last October.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response Hamas’ cross-border attack 600 days ago, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 54,084 people have been reportedly killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Meanwhile, the European Union’s (EU) top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said “Israeli strikes in Gaza go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas” as the death toll there continues to mount.
Kallas also said the EU did not support a new aid distribution model backed by the US and Israel, which bypasses the United Nations (UN) and other humanitarian organisations, adding: “We don’t support the privatisation of the distribution of humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid can not be weaponised.”
Israeli air strikes and other military actions since it resumed the war in March, following a ceasefire, have killed 3,924 people, the Hamas-run health ministry says. Israel said it is acting to destroy Hamas and get back hostages the group holds.
Recent Israel bombardments have killed large numbers of civilians and Kallas’ remarks followed an intervention by new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who declared he “no longer understands” Israel’s objectives in the besieged enclave,” adding: “The way in which the civilian population has been affected… can no longer be justified by a fight against Hamas terrorism.”
The EU is one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid to Gaza, yet Kallas said most of it was currently unable to get to Palestinians who need it. Israel imposed a complete blockade on Gaza in March and only began allowing a trickle of aid in after 11 weeks.
“The majority of the aid to Gaza is provided by the EU but it’s not reaching the people as it is blocked by Israel,” Kallas said, noting: “The suffering of the people is untenable.”
EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, meanwhile described recent Israeli attacks on Gaza’s civilian infrastructure as “abhorrent” and “disproportionate.”
It also followed the strongest criticism yet by the UK, France and Canada, who demanded Israel end its military offensive in Gaza. The UK later said it was suspending trade talks with Israel.
The EU has launched a formal review of its own trade agreement with Israel and Kallas said she would present “options” at the upcoming EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on June 23.
