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The US should consider using its clout as Israel's top weapons provider to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lower the number of civilian deaths in the Gaza strip, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.
The comments made by Mr Borrell, a Spanish diplomat, come as international concern mounts over a planned Israeli incursion into Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than half of the enclave's two million inhabitants have sought shelter.
US President Joe Biden said Israel needs a "credible" plan to ensure their safety. Overnight Israeli strikes killed close to 100 people.
Gaza's population has nowhere to go as the border with Egypt remains closed.
"Netanyahu doesn't listen to anyone," said Mr Borrell. "They are going to evacuate. Where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people?"
In an unusually sharp rebuttal, Mr Biden said this week that Israel was "over the top" in its military response in Gaza, where close to 30,000 people have died as Israel attempts to eradicate Hamas after the October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people.
"President Biden says it's over the top, it's not proportional," Mr Borrell told reporters at a press conference in Brussels attended by the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini.
"Well, if you believe too many are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many being killed. It's not logical?
"This is a little bit contradictory to continue saying too many people are being killed, please take care of people, please don't kill so many people. Stop saying please, and do something," Mr Borrell said.
The US is the world's biggest supplier of military aid to Israel. Some European countries also sell weapons to Israel. German defence exports approvals to Israel rose tenfold last year to $323 million. The EU as a bloc does not provide military aid to Israel.
Mr Borrell pointed to a court ruling in the Netherlands on Monday that ordered the Dutch government to stop sending F-35 parts to Israel, citing risks of violations of international law. Three human rights organisations sued the government in December saying it risked becoming complicit in war crimes committed by Israel.
"By the way, today a court in the Netherlands has ordered the government to stop exporting spare parts of F-35 fighters to Israel in order to be sure that an international court of justice ruling is being implemented," said Mr Borrell.
The court said the state had to comply with the order within seven days and dismissed a request by government lawyers to suspend the order pending an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Presiding Judge Bas Boele said there was a possibility the Dutch government could allow the export of F-35 parts to Israel in future, but only on the strict condition they would not be used in military operations in Gaza.
In a first ruling in December, a Dutch lower court stopped short of ordering the Dutch government to halt the exports, even though it said it was likely that F-35s contributed to violations of the laws of war.
The state immediately appealed the decision at the Supreme Court, but in the meantime it must implement the court’s decision. This may take several months.
"In the government's view, the distribution of American F-35 parts is not unlawful. The government believes it is up to the State to determine its foreign policy," it said. "The government will do everything it can to convince allies and partners that the Netherlands remains a reliable partner in the F-35 project and in European and international defence co-operation."
The government said the provision of F-35 parts to Israel was crucial both for Dutch and for Israeli security, "in particular with regard to threats emanating from the region, for instance from Iran, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon."
The state's decision to lodge an appeal is "separate from the situation in Gaza," it said.
"The Netherlands continues to call for an immediate temporary humanitarian ceasefire, and for as much humanitarian aid as possible to be allowed to reach the suffering people of Gaza."
Yet one of the NGOs involved told The National that there was a clear link with the continuing war in the enclave.
"Hopefully, it contributes to protect the people in Gaza," said Dirk Jan Jalvingh, policy adviser for conflict and humanitarian response at Oxfam Novib.
"The fact that we had to take the state to court is quite depressing. Ideally, you'd want the Dutch government to stand firmly for international humanitarian law. Hopefully this will bring a change in the political discussion," said Mr Jalvingh.
He described the court ruling as a "slap on the fingers legally speaking regarding how the Netherlands has been operating and the wider positioning of the Netherlands as a whole. The Dutch state has basically said they unequivocally support Israel since the October 7 attacks and have been very uncritical of the Israeli government’s actions.”
He said he hoped that the ruling would give EU countries “something to think about.”
The Netherlands is bound by the EU's common position on arms exports, which includes a clause on respect for human rights and international humanitarian law in the country of final destination. The court ruling was all the more symbolic because it came on the same day as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“It’s quite a coincidence,” said Mr Jalvingh. “It could be that he’s there to explain his position.”
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
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C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
