(MENAFN) The UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories sharply criticized the European Union and its member states on Tuesday, accusing them of supporting policies that contribute to the destruction of Palestine.

Speaking to reporters at the European Parliament in Brussels, Francesca Albanese said the EU and its members have failed to meet their international obligations regarding Gaza and Palestine.

"It is a very grave situation that, particularly due to the objections of Germany and Italy, the suspension of the trade agreement (with Israel) has still not gone forward," she said.

Albanese cited the EU’s continued relations with Israel, including arms shipments and Israel’s involvement in the Horizon Europe research program, arguing that the bloc is actively enabling the destruction of Palestine.

"In my view, the situation is so dire that it is beyond comment," she said.

On the prospect of a two-state solution, Albanese said political debate is meaningless unless the dire circumstances facing Palestinians are addressed.

"There is an ethnic cleansing in the West Bank that is almost unprecedented in the last 80 years, and with extraordinary violence," she said.

She noted that many violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank are European citizens and that numerous Europeans have served in the Israeli military.

"How can we talk about two states when the population is disappearing, when much of the land on which the independent State of Palestine was to be established has been destroyed or is under occupation?" she asked.

Albanese warned of a “new genocide” and said the international community risks complicity, which threatens both Palestine and the EU’s core values.

She also criticized US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, arguing it violates international law, citing a recent International Court of Justice ruling that Israel’s occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem is unlawful.

Albanese emphasized the need for compensation for violence against Palestinians and the guaranteed return of displaced persons.

Regarding Hamas, she said Palestinians have the right to self-determination.

"Just as Israelis can elect a criminal, Palestinians can also vote for someone the international community does not like, or not. But that is not our concern. What concerns us is that Palestinians live freely and in peace — just like Israelis," she said.

Albanese also called for the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel military cooperation agreement.

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