The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has sparked a diplomatic rift between Europe and the United States, as the two allies differ on how to address the escalating crisis and the alleged war crimes committed by both sides. While the US has staunchly defended Israel’s right to self-defense and blocked UN resolutions calling for a ceasefire, many European countries have criticized Israel’s disproportionate use of force and urged for an immediate end to the hostilities and humanitarian aid for Gaza.
The US, Israel’s closest ally and main arms supplier, has repeatedly expressed its support for Israel’s security and its right to defend itself from Hamas’s attacks, which it considers as terrorism. The US has also vetoed several UN Security Council resolutions that would have condemned the violence and called for a ceasefire, arguing that they were biased against Israel and did not address the root causes of the conflict.
The US has also opposed the launch of an international investigation into the alleged war crimes by the UN Human Rights Council, which it views as a politicized and anti-Israel body.
On the other hand, many European countries, which have traditionally supported the two-state solution and the Palestinian cause, have expressed their concern over the civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where thousands have been killed, wounded, and displaced by Israel’s retaliatory bombardment. They have also called for a political solution to the conflict based on a two-state solution, and have urged the EU to play a more active role in the peace process. Some European leaders denounced Israel’s violations of international law and human rights in the occupied territories, and have called for accountability and justice for the victims.
The war has also exposed the deep divisions among European countries over the long-standing conflict in the Middle East. The EU, as a bloc, has struggled to find a common position on the crisis.
The war has also strained the transatlantic relations between Europe and the US, which have already been damaged by the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, its criticism of NATO, and its opposition to Turkey’s intervention in Syria. Some European officials and analysts have accused the US of being too passive and biased in its approach to the conflict, and of undermining the multilateral efforts to end the violence and protect the civilians. They have also called for a more balanced and proactive US policy that would address the legitimate grievances and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians, and that would support the international law and human rights .
