EU calls out Putin and Netanyahu: “Attacks on humanitarian personnel and hospitals are not accidents”

Brussels – In every theatre of war, in every conflict, in every corner of the world, “attacks on humanitarian personnel, hospitals, and civilian objects are not accidents.” To mark World Humanitarian Day, the European Union condemns those who target volunteers providing aid and relief. In a joint statement, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, level an accusation that also concerns the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kallas and Lahbib point out that targeting humanitarian staff, hospitals and civilian infrastructure constitutes “violations of international humanitarian law.” They provide an update on this illegal war: “So far in 2026, 82 aid workers have been killed, 39 kidnapped, and 97 wounded.” Yet, they point out, “the law is clear: the protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers, is not optional.”

https://www.eunews.it/en/2024/05/20/netanyahu-like-the-leaders-of-hamas-international-arrest-warrant-sought-for-all-for-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity/

This is where the direct criticism of the leaders of Russia and Israel comes in. “In Ukraine, Russia’s war of aggression has created humanitarian needs that reverberate far beyond the country’s borders,” the two members of the EU executive denounce. While “in Gaza, destruction and suffering continue on a catastrophic scale. This last point amounts to a (verbal) rebuke of the “friend” Netanyahu. 

But it is not just Russia and Israel that are violating the law and human rights: “From the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, from Afghanistan to Myanmar, humanitarian crises continue to unfold with far too little global attention,” Kallas and Lahbib further denounce. All over the world, “aid workers continue to be targeted, kidnapped, and killed at an alarming rate,” in what is a defeat for everyone, including the EU: “Every aid worker killed is not only a personal tragedy; it is also a failure by the international community to uphold its most basic commitments.”