The situation in Gaza is “catastrophic, apocalyptic”, Borrell said in Brussels on Monday after chairing a meeting of the EU’s foreign ministers.
“The destruction of buildings in Gaza…is more or less or even greater than the destruction suffered by the German cities during the Second World War,” he noted, adding, “85 percent of the population is internally displaced.”
Israel launched its devastating military aggression against Gaza on October 7 following an operation staged by the territory’s resistance groups, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm.
Independent experts estimate that as much as 40 percent of housing units in Gaza has been either damaged or totally destroyed.
According to the United Nations, as many as 1.8 million people have been internally displaced in Gaza, many living in overcrowded UN shelters in the coastal territory’s south.
The European official stated that the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza has resulted in “an incredible number of civilian casualties.”
“Civilian casualties are between 60 and 70 percent of the overall deaths” based on Gaza Health Ministry’s figures, Borrell said, adding, “The human suffering constitutes an unprecedented challenge to the international community.”
More than 18,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed during the Israeli onslaught on Gaza so far, while upwards of 49,600 others have been wounded. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
