LONDON (AP) 鈥 The words coming from some of Israel鈥檚 closest allies have been startling in their vehemence: 鈥渁ppalled,鈥 鈥渙utraged,鈥 鈥渘o more excuses.鈥
The Israeli military鈥檚 in Gaza has triggered unprecedented criticism from European leaders, who are stepping up calls for a cease-fire and in some cases halting arms sales to Israel as the war鈥檚 toll mounts.
The attack on the has sharpened the dilemma for European politicians, who are squeezed between support for an ally that suffered a terrible attack on Oct. 7 and growing public pressure to stop a war over which they have little control.
鈥淣othing justifies such a tragedy,鈥 French Foreign Minister S茅bastien S茅journ茅 said after Monday's attack. said he was 鈥渁ppalled鈥 by the deaths of the aid workers, three of whom were British.
Britain summoned the Israeli ambassador for a reprimand over the killings. , which lost one of its citizens and whose foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, expressed 鈥渕oral indignation.鈥
Beyond Europe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said attacking aid workers was 鈥渁bsolutely unacceptable,鈥 and Australian leader Anthony Albanese said his country was 鈥渙utraged.鈥
Israel said the attack that killed the aid workers and their Palestinian driver was a tragic mistake. Its military dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others, saying they violated the army鈥檚 rules of engagement.
Julie Norman, associate professor of politics and international relations at University College London, said unease about the conflict was already growing in Europe, and Monday鈥檚 attack 鈥渁ccelerated that and made it much more public.鈥
鈥淭hings that had been said more quietly are now being said much louder,鈥 she said.
When Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis in a from Gaza on Oct. 7, Israel鈥檚 European allies strongly backed its right to strike back.
Within weeks, some were expressing disquiet at the mounting bloodshed. French President Emmanuel Macron called for a cease-fire as early as November. Sunak has moved from backing a 鈥渉umanitarian pause鈥 to support for a 鈥渟ustainable cease-fire" contingent on Hamas releasing Israeli hostages and halting attacks.
Germany is one of Israel鈥檚 closest allies and, given memories of the Holocaust, treads carefully when criticizing its actions. While remaining careful to stress Israel鈥檚 right to defend itself, the government has become increasingly critical of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has voiced unease at the war鈥檚 toll, asking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting last month how any goal can 鈥渏ustify such terribly high costs.鈥
Palestinians, aid workers and international rights groups say Western outrage over the deaths of foreign aid workers contrasts with the subdued response to the suffering of Gaza residents. More than 33,000 people have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, including more than 220 humanitarian workers. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans are on the .
鈥淚t鈥檚 sad that it has taken an attack on international aid workers鈥 to crystalize leaders鈥 attention, said Nomi Bar-Yaacov, associate fellow in the International Security Program at international affairs think tank Chatham House. 鈥淏ut that is unfortunately the reality.鈥
The World Central Kitchen attack has increased pressure on Europe鈥檚 governments to move from criticism to suspending arms sales to Israel.
The United Nations鈥 Human Rights Council passed a nonbinding resolution to that effect Friday. Among European countries in the 47-nation body, only Germany voted against it, as did the United States.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez said Thursday that his country had stopped selling weapons to Israel and urged other nations to do the same. In February, Canada announced it would stop future shipments, and the same month ordered the Netherlands to stop the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel 鈥 though the Dutch government said it would appeal.
In Britain, more than 600 British jurists, including three retired Supreme Court judges, pressed the government to heed the that there is a 鈥減lausible risk of genocide鈥 in Gaza and stop shipping weapons to Israel.
鈥淚 believe we have no choice but to suspend arms sales,鈥 said Alicia Kearns, a lawmaker from the governing Conservatives who chairs the House of Commons foreign affairs committee. 鈥淯.K. arms export licenses require a recipient to comply with international humanitarian law.鈥
Suspending arms sales would be a major political statement by Britain, but it wouldn鈥檛 make a big difference to the war. Britain sold just 42 million pounds ($53 million) worth of defense equipment to Israel in 2022, according to the U.K. government.
The only country with major influence is the United States, which has also begun to harden its line toward Israel. President Joe Biden in a phone call Thursday that continued U.S. support for the war depended on Israel taking more action to protect civilians and aid workers. Hours later, Israel announced it would open new aid routes into Gaza and increase the amount of food and other supplies getting into the territory.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Friday that Germany expected 鈥渢he Israeli government to implement its announcements quickly.鈥
鈥淣o more excuses,鈥 she wrote on X 鈥 a tone that would have been unthinkable mere months ago.
Germany is the second-biggest weapons supplier to Israel and approved 326.5 million euros ($354 million) in defense exports last year, according to German news agency dpa.
Asked Friday under what circumstances Germany would consider suspending weapons deliveries to Israel, government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann replied that 鈥渨eapons exports are always case-by-case decisions 鈥 taking into consideration political and human rights questions.鈥
Bar-Yaacov said a decision by European countries to stop arms supplies unless Israel complies with international law would 鈥渕ake a huge difference鈥 by increasing pressure on the United States to take its own tough action.
鈥淭he question,鈥 she said, 鈥渋s how much pressure and how much leverage is President Joe Biden prepared to put on Prime Minister Netanyahu in order to ensure that the war ends?鈥
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Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Thomas Adamson and Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Vanessa Gera and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed to this story.
