In a powerful indictment of European complicity, former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned what he described as Europe’s role in Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. Speaking from Spain after receiving the Carlos V European Award, Borrell accused the European Union of turning a blind eye to war crimes, stating that a significant share of the weapons used in the bombing of Gaza are supplied by EU member states.

He warned that Europe is witnessing the largest act of ethnic cleansing since the Second World War, as Gaza is reduced to rubble and its population faces mass displacement. Referring to reports of plans to depopulate Gaza under the guise of redevelopment, Borrell described these ambitions as part of a wider policy of extermination, enabled by international silence and military support.

The former diplomat's remarks underscore growing discontent with Europe’s stance, particularly its failure to demand a ceasefire or halt arms sales. As thousands of civilians lie dead or missing, Borrell’s comments serve as a rare acknowledgment from within the European establishment of the scale of the catastrophe—and of the continent’s moral failure in the face of it.