A senior European Union official has described the war on Gaza as a genocide, intensifying criticism of "Israel" and exposing divisions within the 27-member bloc as it fails to act.

Speaking in Paris on Thursday, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera declared, “The genocide in Gaza exposes Europe’s failure to act and speak with one voice.”

Her remarks mark one of the strongest condemnations yet from within the EU’s leadership. Until now, top EU officials have avoided using the term “genocide” when referring to "Israel’s" war on Gaza.

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Divisions within the European Union

An EU spokesperson insisted that only courts could determine whether genocide was occurring, reflecting the bloc’s reluctance to take a legal or political stance.

The European Union has been split between member states pushing for concrete measures against "Israel" and those continuing to back it. These divisions are mirrored inside the Commission itself. Ribera has voiced frustration over the EU’s inability to move forward on the issue.

Her choice of words could increase pressure on Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take a tougher line. In July, the Commission proposed cutting funding to Israeli start-ups over the war, but the plan failed to win majority support among EU governments.

Mounting death toll

Since then, "Israel’s" retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,231 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, figures the United Nations deems reliable. Nearly two years into the war, Israeli troops have recently built up forces around Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the besieged territory.

The United Nations estimates that nearly one million people remain in and around Gaza City, where famine has already been declared.