The European Union has warned Israel of action over a worsening starvation crisis in Gaza, where the number of Palestinians who have died from starvation has risen to at least 101.
The warning from the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, came on Tuesday, as the United States said President Donald Trump’s special envoy would be travelling to Europe for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza this week.
In a post on X, Kallas said that “all options remain on the table if Israel doesn’t deliver on its pledges” to increase humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
She also said Israel’s killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza was “indefensible” and that she had spoken to Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Saar “to recall our understanding on aid flow and made clear that [Israeli military] must stop killing people at distribution points”.
Earlier this month, following an EU meeting to review the bloc’s relations with Israel over mounting criticism of its war on Gaza, Kallas said that Israel had agreed to improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
These included pledges to increase the number of aid trucks, crossing points and routes to distribution points.
But aid officials say the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza has not increased despite that agreement.
The US, meanwhile, said that Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, will be travelling to a European country for talks on a truce, as well as on finalising an aid “corridor” for Gaza. He may then head to the Middle East for more talks, according to media reports.
‘Strong hope’
Axios, a US news outlet, reported that Witkoff will be travelling to the Italian city of Rome on Wednesday and will meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and a senior Qatari envoy on Thursday.
If sufficient progress is made, Witkoff will travel from Rome to the Qatari capital, Doha, towards the end of the week to secure a deal, the website reported, citing two US and Israeli sources familiar with the details.
The US State Department told reporters that Witkoff was heading to the region with “a strong hope that we will come forward with another ceasefire as well as a humanitarian corridor for aid to flow”.
Spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to give