Outgoing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has condemned last week’s attack on Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, saying that the targeting of mobile communication devices used by the terror group aimed to “spread terror in Lebanon”.
At least 37 people were killed, including two children, and more than 3,000 wounded when first pagers, then walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah terrorists exploded in two waves of attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Lebanon and Hezbollah say Israel carried out the attack, but Jerusalem has not claimed responsibility.
Hezbollah’s “military wing” has been on the EU list of proscribed terrorist groups since 2013.
“The indiscriminate method used is unacceptable due to the inevitable and heavy collateral damages amoung civilians, and the broader consequences for the entire population, including fear and terror, and the collapse of hospitals,” said Borrell on Tuesday.
“Even if the attacks seem to have been targeted, they had heavy, indiscriminate collateral damages amoung civilians: several children are amoung the victims. I consider this situation extremely worrying.
“I can only condemn these attacks that endanger the security and stability of Lebanon, and increase the risk of escalation in the region,” said Borrell in the statement.
The following day, Borrell issued a similar statement on the new series of explosions across Lebanon.
“Whoever is behind these attacks aims to spread terror in Lebanon. I join UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s assessment of the incident and the call for an independent investigation,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Borrell cancelled a planned trip to Israel after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he would not be allowed to make the visit official.
Borrell had sent a letter to Israel’s Foreign Ministry announcing his intention to visit Israel on 14 and 15 September, but Jerusalem rejected those dates and called on him to coordinate a visit in late October, which would come after his term in Brussels concludes.
Borrell is to be succeeded by former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who will take over the post of EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy in November.
Borrell has been a harsh critic of Israel’s military operation against Hamas in Gaza and policies toward the Palestinians in general, at times making incendiary remarks that have drawn rebukes from Israeli officials.
Late last month, Borrell said that he had asked the EU member states if they would consider imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers. But it was unlikely that all the 27 EU member states would agree to levy such sanctions, as unanimity is required for such sanctions.
In March, he accused Israel of “provoking famine” in the Gaza Strip, claiming that the Israel Defence Forces was using starvation as a “weapon of war.”
“Gaza was before the war the greatest open-air prison. Today, it is the greatest open-air graveyard,” Borrell claimed in separate comments.
“A graveyard for tens of thousands of people, and also a graveyard for many of the most important principles of humanitarian law.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Katz accused the EU foreign policy chief of harbouring long-standing bias against Israel.
“There’s a difference between legitimate criticism and policy disagreements between friends and the campaign Borrell is leading against Israel,” said Katz.
“Instead of addressing the Iranian threat to European security,” Borrell has “sided with them in promoting anti-Israel initiatives,’’ said Katz.
