Ex-foreign minister Evarist Bartolo and MEP Alex Agius Saliba have criticised European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for turning a blind eye to Israel’s breach of international law as it unleashed a tough response to the Hamas attacks. 

Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have been outspoken in their support for Israel as it retaliates for last week’s attacks by Hamas which killed over 1,200 Israelis, including many youngsters at a music festival. The two EU leaders visited Israel on Friday.

The visit has sparked a debate among EU circles over whether the two top EU officials had overstepped their remit.

A spokesperson for Metsola, told Times of Malta the EP president is advocating the creation of humanitarian corridors in Gaza for the prevention of more loss of life.

But Metsola has come under criticism for not condemning Israel’s response to the attack, which includes massive airstrikes, artillery attacks, the cutting of water, electricity and food supplies, and ordering over one million residents of northern Gaza to evacuate south. Thousands of Palestinians have already been killed.

Israel is also preparing for a ground offensive into the Hamas-controlled territory.

“If we were humanitarians, we would not accept the atrocities of Hamas but neither would we accept Israel’s response,” Evarist Bartolo said.

“What would Metsola and von der Leyen feel if they were mothers in Gaza?” Bartolo asked.

If it is a war crime to attack civilians and cut off food, water and power supplies to Ukraine, Bartolo said, the same should be true for Gaza.

Bartolo described Metsola’s and von der Leyen’s actions as “shortsighted”, which will lead to a loss of credibility for the EU as advocates of human rights and democracy.

He said that most people in Gaza live in poverty and despair. This leads them to sympathise with Hamas.

“But that does not mean people in Gaza should face collective punishment,” he said.

The former minister said that lasting peace can only come through justice and addressing the root cause of the conflict.

“We must work for a two-state solution,” he said.

Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba similarly described Metsola and von der Leyen’s position as “hypocritical” for condemning a Russian blockade of energy and infrastructure in Ukraine but not doing the same with Israel.

“Palestinians do not equal Hamas,” he said. 

“I expect more from the European Parliament president,” he said.

Karl Schembri, a former journalist who lived in Gaza between 2009 and 2013, said von der Leyen and Metsola are granting Israel “carte blanche” to commit war crimes.

He said Israel is forcibly transferring people from the north of Gaza to the south and is “indiscriminately bombing residential areas, schools and hospitals”.

Metsola “rightly refused” to shake Joseph Muscat’s hand in 2019 but “was happy to take photos with Israeli government officials who had pre-announced war crimes in Gaza”, he said.

“Just across in Gaza, there is an ongoing genocide,” said Schembri, who now works as a humanitarian activist.

Foreign minister Ian Borg was also contacted for comment.

“Roberta Metsola is the president of the European Parliaments, and her actions and policies are determined by her role. I am the foreign minister of Malta, and my actions and policies are determined by my role,” he replied.

Borg said he stands by the Maltese government’s position, which was unanimously adopted by the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign and European affairs.

On Thursday, the parliamentary committee condemned “the terroristic attacks committed by Hamas”.

But the committee similarly expressed “grave concern on the present situation in Gaza where indiscriminate attacks and actions are creating innocent victims caught in this conflict”.

A spokesperson for Metsola condemned Hamas for unleashing “the worst cycle of violence in generations”.

“What happened on October 7 in Israel was premeditated murder of women, children and men,” he said.

Hamas is a terrorist organisation which hinders the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, the spokesperson said.

During her visit to Israel, Metsola underlined how “we respond to the terror attacks matters”, the spokesperson said.

The EP president “advocated for the mitigation of humanitarian consequences, such as with the creation of humanitarian corridors in Gaza, that could help prevent more loss of life”, he said.

He said the EU will continue providing humanitarian aid to those in need.

“In the coming days, the European Parliament’s focus will remain in pushing to free the hostages and in ensuring that humanitarian corridors are created to prevent more lives being lost, and that critical civilian infrastructure is not targeted,” he said.

“This attack does not change the position of the parliament in seeking a fair two-state solution and peace in the region, but it does sadly push that prospect further away.”