European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen opposed the planned Israeli military operation in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million displaced Palestinians are located.
As she said at a debate in Maastricht, the Netherlands, a military operation there would be “totally unacceptable”.
The president of the European Commission, who was running for a second term, recalled that she had visited Rafah and said that the situation there was “unbearable” and “unacceptable”.
“I never draw red lines, but I think it would be completely unacceptable for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) to invade,” Von der Leyen said.
She noted that the Commission will “sit down” with the member states and “act” in the event of an invasion of Rafah.
Despite growing international opposition, Israel has announced plans for a ground assault on Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge from Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Asked how she proposed ending the war, von der Leyen repeated that she had always defended “Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Von der Leyen has been under fire since October 7 for her unconditional support for Israel.
In December, Irish MEP Clare Daly criticized her for her stance on Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza, calling her “Frau (Mrs) Genocide”, AA writes.
