EU foreign policy chief 'appalled' by high casualty toll after Israeli airstrike on Gaza's Jabalia camp

The EU foreign policy chief on Wednesday said that he is "appalled" by the high number of casualties caused by Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

"Building on EU Council's clear stance that Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international humanitarian law and ensuring the protection of all civilians, I am appalled by the high number of casualties following the bombing by Israel of the Jabalia refugee camp," Josep Borrell said on X.

"The right to self-defence should always be balanced by the obligation to spare civilians to the greatest extent possible," Borrell said, echoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' remarks.

Underlining that the EU has been calling since last week for humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs, he said: "With each passing day, as the situation becomes more and more dire, this is more urgent than ever."

"The safety and the protection of civilians is not only a moral, but a legal obligation," he stressed.

Airstrikes on the refugee camp killed and injured hundreds of people, according to the Interior Ministry in the besieged enclave, which said Israel dropped six bombs on the residential area.

The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise cross-border offensive on Oct. 7.

Paltel Group, the company providing communications services in Palestine, reported another widespread outage of internet and phone service in Gaza early Wednesday.

Besides a large number of casualties-at least 8,525 Palestinians and 1,538 in Israel-and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million people in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected growing calls for a cease-fire, saying it would be a "surrender" to Hamas and "that will not happen."