ATHENS

Dozens of European lawmakers urged the EU on Wednesday to impose sanctions on Israel because of its recent attack on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip

“The recently launched Israeli military campaign on Rafah and closure of two vital entry points for aid desperately calls for consequent EU action. Therefore, by means of this urgent appeal, we call on you to convene as soon as possible a meeting of the European Council to discuss the consequences of the invasion and impose EU sanctions against Israel,” 67 lawmakers, mostly from left groups in the European Parliament, wrote in an open letter to the European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Warning of the humanitarian consequences of the continuation of Israel’s invasion in Rafah and the closure of the Rafah and Karem border crossings by Israel, the lawmakers urged the bloc to keep its promises.

“At its last meeting on 21-22 March, the European Council urged the Israeli government not to undertake a ground operation in Rafah. Commission President von der Leyen has stated during the EU election debate in Maastricht that an invasion of Rafah would be ‘completely unacceptable’ and that she, in this event, would ‘sit down with Member States and act.’ We urge you to live up to that promise and convene an urgent meeting of the European Council to discuss the EU response to the events in Rafah,” said the letter

As such, they said, “A firm international response is needed more than ever, and the EU should take all measures within its remit to force Israel's compliance with international law. Sanctions against Israel are the only adequate response to this horrendous and reckless military campaign in Rafah and the rest of the Gaza strip, and would be in line with the EU's obligations to uphold the provisional measures imposed by the ICJ.”

On Monday, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for Palestinians in eastern Rafah -- a move widely seen as a prelude to Israel's long-feared attack on the city, home to 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.

And Tuesday, the army seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, a vital route for humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

Israel has pounded Gaza in retaliation for Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas which killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 34,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and 78,100 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli onslaught, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.