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EU’s Top Diplomat Criticizes Israeli Minister’s Call to Cut off Aid to Gaza 

22 July 2024, Belgium, Brussels: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels. (Francois Lenoir/EU Council/dpa)
22 July 2024, Belgium, Brussels: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels. (Francois Lenoir/EU Council/dpa)
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EU’s Top Diplomat Criticizes Israeli Minister’s Call to Cut off Aid to Gaza 

22 July 2024, Belgium, Brussels: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels. (Francois Lenoir/EU Council/dpa)
22 July 2024, Belgium, Brussels: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels. (Francois Lenoir/EU Council/dpa)

The European Union’s top diplomat says it should consider sanctions in response to calls by Israel’s far-right national security minister to cut off aid to Gaza.

Writing on the X platform late Sunday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the recent remarks by Itamar Ben-Gvir constitute “incitement to war crimes,” adding that “sanctions must be on our EU agenda.”

In his own post on X and in media interviews, Ben-Gvir said that instead of agreeing to a potential ceasefire deal, Israel should block the entry of humanitarian aid and fuel to Gaza until Hamas releases all of the hostages, saying that doing so would bring the militant group to its knees.

Ben-Gvir has also repeatedly called for Israel to permanently reoccupy Gaza, rebuild Jewish settlements there and encourage the “voluntary” migration of Palestinians from the territory.

Ben-Gvir, a key member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, has threatened to bring the government down if it makes too many concessions in the ceasefire talks.

Borrell called on Israel’s government to “unequivocally distance itself from these incitements to commit war crimes,” and to engage “in good faith” with cease-fire negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

The United States and Israel’s other Western allies have repeatedly voiced concern about the killing of Palestinian civilians and Israeli restrictions on aid operations in the 10-month-old war. But they continue to provide vital military and diplomatic support for its offensive.

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Arab World

Outrage in Yemen Over Houthi Takeover of Sana’a University Land

A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
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Outrage in Yemen Over Houthi Takeover of Sana’a University Land

A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)

The decision to transfer land from Sana’a University to investors connected with the Houthi group has caused outrage among Yemen’s academics and raised fears that other state lands and facilities could be targeted in the same way.
A recently leaked document shows that Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the so-called Supreme Political Council (the Houthis’ ruling body), ordered the allocation of 10,000 libnah (about 44.44 square meters for each libnah) of the university’s land to an unknown individual, Abdu Ali Hadi, for medical investment projects.
In late May, a directive ordered the allocation of an additional 40,000 libnah of land to Abdu Ali Hadi in the Bani Matar area west of Sana’a. This was proposed by the same individual who received land from Sana’a University.
University academics told Asharq Al-Awsat that these actions are seen as a deliberate attack on higher education, aimed at blocking the university’s future expansion.
One academic criticized the decision, noting that there are plenty of state-owned lands in and around Sana’a that could be used for development, but they are controlled and misused by the Houthi group.
The academic argued that targeting the university’s land suggests a systematic effort to weaken the educational system and turn its institutions into tools for promoting the Houthi agenda.
In recent years, al-Mashat has ordered the transfer of parts of Sana’a University’s land and buildings to the Endowment Authority, a Houthi-controlled body. This was widely criticized by academics and students as an attempt to plunder the university.
Another academic noted that the university’s Houthi-led administration has remained silent about these actions, suggesting a coordinated effort among Houthi leaders to misuse the university’s assets as part of their broader strategy to seize public property.
A third academic noted that before the Houthi takeover, corruption at Sana’a University involved only leasing land for the university’s benefit. In contrast, under al-Mashat, land is being allocated to individuals, benefiting specific people rather than the university.
The academic pointed out that previous corrupt officials did not dare to systematically target the university as the Houthis do, aiming to deprive the community of education and exploit public resources.
A university faculty member also recalled that three years ago, the Houthi administration decided to sell some university land to support combat fronts. The faculty member regretted that this decision was not well-publicized and the fate of the land remains unknown.
Criticism of the land decision has not only come from academics and social figures opposed to the Houthis but also from within the Houthi ranks. Some Houthi leaders and activists have expressed dissatisfaction and called for the decision to be reversed and for al-Mashat to be held accountable.
Pro-Houthi lawyer Hashim Sharaf al-Din has threatened to sue al-Mashat, arguing that the decision to allocate university land is illegal. He claimed it violates multiple laws, including those governing public institutions and state property, and has pledged to take legal action to overturn the decision.