Gaza: A War on Children Exposes the EU’s Double Standard on Human Rights
As Gaza’s children suffer under siege and bombardment, Eurochild condemns the EU’s silence and inconsistency in upholding human rights. We urge the European Commission to demand a ceasefire, guarantee humanitarian access, suspend agreements with Israel, and support international accountability.
Since the start of Israel’s military offensive on Gaza, more than 54,000+ Palestinians have reportedly been killed, 125,000+ injured1. Over 11,000 individuals are reported missing2.
After years of occupation and months of brutal war, Israel’s blockade has cut off access to food, water and medicines in Gaza in contravention of international humanitarian law. Even when limited aid was allowed to enter, Israeli forces fired3 on civilians desperately trying to access food and humanitarian supplies4, turning moments of hope into scenes of horror5.
As heartbreaking images of children caught in war flood social media, the situation in Gaza is frequently downplayed or reframed in political speeches and mainstream media outlets to appear less severe, obscuring the truth and the responsibility of those behind it. This isn’t a battle between two armies, but a campaign of violence against a starving population, where children are among the primary victims. It’s a war against civilians and families that, perhaps because of racism or hypocrisy, has created a gap between public protest and the tepid response of governments in many parts of the world.
This not only harms the European Union’s credibility and enables atrocities to continue with impunity but also sets a dangerous precedent and exposes a double standard in how the EU responds to human rights violations in neighbouring regions. These war crimes would provoke a strong international response elsewhere.
This is why we urge the European Commission to:
- Push for an immediate and sustained ceasefire.
- Ensure full and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza. The EU must demand an end to Israel’s obstruction and mismanagement of aid, which contravenes international humanitarian law. Distribution of aid must not be weaponised and must be led by the United Nations and facilitated without restriction, to meet the urgent needs of the civilian population.
- Suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement and all related agreements until Israel abides by international law and implements International Court of Justice rulings and advisory opinion. The ongoing review of Israel’s compliance with article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement must be thorough, comprehensive, and credible.
- Support all international accountability mechanisms, including the ICC, investigating alleged violations of international law. Upholding and defending international law is essential for justice, peace, and the EU’s credibility on the global stage.
The European Union has both the influence and responsibility to act decisively. Failure to act now will be devastating.
[1] UNRWA, ‘Situation report #174 on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem’ (7 June 2025), available at: https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-174-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-jerusalem.
[2] https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d341/d3418605
[3] https://apnews.com/article/gaza-palestinians-food-aid-israel-284fa12b037db604342be1b3ea2120b4
Photo: Davide Rambaldi / ©Eurochild
Media inquiries: Davide Rambaldi, Eurochild Communications Coordinator
