Amnesty Chief: Gaza Faces Full-Scale Genocide as EU Urged to Act Against Israel’s Blockade

Watan-Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard has called on all international actors—led by the European Union—to take serious steps to stop what she described as Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, whether through military assaults or starvation policies that have rendered the territory “completely devoid of food.”

Callamard urged global stakeholders to pressure Israel to allow the entry of food, water, and medicine into Gaza, and to hold those responsible for genocide and war crimes accountable.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, she described Gaza’s deteriorating humanitarian situation, which she observed through direct monitoring of the 19-month-long war, intensifying after Israel imposed a full blockade on March 2.

Since that date, Israel has shut all Gaza crossings to food, relief, medical supplies, and goods—causing a massive humanitarian collapse, confirmed by multiple governmental, human rights, and international reports.

Gaza’s population relies entirely on external aid through these crossings. According to World Bank data, the ongoing genocide has plunged nearly all residents into poverty.

The blockade, imposed since October 7, 2023—with unwavering U.S. support—is one of Israel’s tools in what Callamard described as a “systematic genocide,” which has left over 170,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, the majority being women and children, with more than 11,000 missing.

Alarming Starvation and Total Collapse

Callamard warned of an existential threat: “Food is gone from Gaza. People face severe shortages of food, water, and medicine. The World Food Program, WHO, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations are all sounding the alarm.”

She repeated the phrase “There is no food in Gaza” to emphasize the gravity of the situation, describing conditions in the territory as “utterly terrifying.”

“This is genocide in broad daylight,” she said, blaming the failure of the U.S. and many European countries to uphold international law and protect Palestinian rights for allowing this to become a brutal reality.

A temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, initiated on January 19, 2025, collapsed when Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, violating the terms.

Demand for EU Action and Arrest Enforcement

In a direct appeal to EU leaders, Callamard urged them to stand by their founding principles: human rights, international law, and peace.

She criticized certain European governments for expressing readiness to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“No one should obstruct the prosecution of this government or justify welcoming war criminals,” she stated.

She called on the EU to take a firm stance to enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu, and to hold him, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and their backers accountable for violating the court’s rules and EU standards.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and Gallant, citing credible evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

Free Speech Crackdowns and Gaza Recognition

Callamard also warned of increasing repression against voices critical of Israel in Europe—particularly in Germany.

“Germany refuses to label what’s happening in Gaza as genocide or crimes against humanity, but it uses legal tools to suppress free expression from those standing in solidarity with Palestinians. That’s a different and deeply troubling issue,” she said.

She urged all international actors to recognize what is happening in Gaza as genocide and to openly name Israel as the perpetrator—then take action to formalize this recognition globally.

Lifting the blockade on Gaza must be the top priority, she said:“We demand unrestricted access to food, water, and medicine, in quantities that reflect the massive scale of need—not token amounts. People are starving. People are dying. Women and children are being violated.”