EU ‘turning a blind eye to genocide’ in Gaza, says PL MEP
Daniel Attard accuses European Parliament of hypocrisy over failure to condemn Israeli actions
A Maltese MEP is calling out the European Parliament for “turning a blind eye to genocide” by ignoring the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine.
Daniel Attard, a Labour MEP, gave an impassioned speech on Wednesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, following the EU’s condemnation of Thailand for deporting a group of 40 Uyghurs to China.
Attard felt that while it was correct to condemn Thailand, it was hypocritical not to address the ongoing Gaza offensive.
“We have lost all our moral authority,” said Attard. He continued, “We cannot speak on anything else if we’re turning a blind eye to genocide. Indifference is complicity.”
Attard highlighted that in Gaza, 20,000 children have been killed, “the equivalent of how many children we have in Maltese schools,” he continued, “This house loses its voice.”
He insisted that criticising Israel for its “documented war crimes in 2025” should not be conflated with antisemitism, adding that calls to protect aid workers and ensure humanitarian access were legitimate.
“If we cannot speak out in the face of these atrocities, then what do we even stand for?” implored Attard.
Attard has been a consistent voice in support of Palestine. Alongside fellow Labour MEPs Alex Agius Saliba and Thomas Bajada, he marked the anniversary of the October 7 attacks last year by calling for the recognition of Palestine, an end to the "genocide", and peace in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory.
Katz said Israel would bolster its presence in the Gaza Strip to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure". The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes killed at least 15 people, including children, in Khan Yunis and the Nuseirat refugee camp at dawn Wednesday.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that 1,042 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed military operations, bringing the overall toll since the war began on October 7, 2023, to at least 50,399 people, the majority of them civilians.