Europe urges Israel to halt Gaza war, but is Netanyahu listening?
Amid criticism by European leaders of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu remains unmoved, continuing a long tradition of Israeli defiance in the face of global condemnation
THE WORLDVIEW
May 24, 2025
THE chorus of concern from European capitals has grown louder in recent days, with leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Spain and other nations openly calling on Israel to halt its military offensive in Gaza. As images of devastation, lifeless bodies and shattered buildings continue to dominate news cycles, European leaders have expressed alarm over the mounting civilian death toll and what they describe as the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli Defence Forces.
In a pointed statement, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to “stop this killing” and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach the besieged Palestinian population. The British Foreign Secretary also expressed “deep dismay” at the extent of civilian casualties, particularly among women and children, adding that “international law must be respected by all sides”.
Spain, Ireland and several other European nations have echoed similar sentiments, demanding that the Netanyahu government show restraint and uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law. But if the aim was to pressure Israel into a change of course, the European appeals have thus far met a familiar fate: outright rejection.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been characteristically defiant. Brushing aside the criticism, he has reiterated that Israel will not bow to outside pressure when its security is at stake. “No power on Earth will stop us from protecting our citizens,” he declared during a televised briefing earlier this week.
According to the Israeli prime minister, the ongoing operations are necessary to eliminate Hamas infrastructure and prevent further attacks on Israeli soil. Civilian casualties, he insisted, are the tragic consequence of Hamas’s alleged use of human shields and the embedding of its operatives within densely populated urban areas.
Netanyahu’s response is not surprising. It fits a well-worn pattern of Israeli leadership turning a deaf ear to external criticism while continuing military campaigns it deems vital to national defence. But what is perhaps more striking this time is the impotence of Europe’s diplomatic efforts.
Despite the strong language and urgent appeals, there is little evidence that European pressure will translate into any meaningful shift in Israeli policy — even as the humanitarian cost of the Gaza campaign has been staggering. Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened, hospitals overwhelmed, and vital infrastructure reduced to rubble.
Human rights groups have warned of possible war crimes, and aid agencies have pleaded for safe corridors to deliver food, water and medicine to a population on the brink of catastrophe. Yet Israel maintains that it is operating within the bounds of self-defence, and that all necessary precautions are being taken to minimise harm to civilians.
The European leaders’ frustration is understandable, but it is also steeped in a certain historical naïveté. This is hardly the first time world powers have expressed disapproval of Israeli actions, only to see those words evaporate into the dry desert wind. One need only recall the episode in 2002 during the Second Intifada, when then US President George W. Bush publicly urged Israel to withdraw its tanks from the Palestinian city of Jenin amid reports of civilian deaths.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon simply ignored the plea, and Washington ultimately fell silent. If even the United States — Israel’s closest and most powerful ally — has failed to restrain Israeli military actions, what leverage does Europe truly have?
The uncomfortable truth is that European criticism, no matter how well-intentioned or vociferous, is unlikely to change the facts on the ground. The Netanyahu government has grown accustomed to international rebukes and has shown time and again that it will pursue its objectives regardless of diplomatic fallout.
In domestic political terms, appearing resolute against foreign pressure often plays well with the Israeli electorate, reinforcing Netanyahu’s narrative of a strong leader defending a nation under siege.
In the end, the European outcry will likely join the long list of condemnations that have done little to alter the course of Israeli military campaigns. For all their moral weight, such statements have rarely been backed by tangible consequences — be it economic sanctions, arms embargoes or meaningful diplomatic isolation. Without that, they become mere rhetoric.
Until the international community is willing to match words with action, the people of Gaza will continue to bear the brunt of yet another cycle of violence. And Netanyahu, like his predecessors, will continue to act as though criticism is just noise — loud, but ultimately inconsequential.