The EU foreign policy coordinator Josep Borrell called on the United States to cut arms supplies to Israel due to the rising number of civilian casualties during its war in Gaza.

Borrell referred to US President Joe Biden's statements last week when he said that Israel's response to the attack launched by Hamas on October 7 was "over the top," and that US and other Western officials repeatedly said that a very large number of civilians are being killed in Gaza.

Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU development aid ministers in Brussels: "Well, if you think that a very large number of people are being killed, maybe you should provide fewer weapons to prevent the killing of that large number of people."

He added: "If the international community thinks this is a massacre, and that a very large number of people are being killed, maybe we should think about reducing arms supplies."

In his remarks in Brussels, Borrell also strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he did not listen to appeals to do more to protect civilians.

Borrell said angrily, "Everyone goes to Tel Aviv, begging 'please don't do that, protect the civilians, don't kill this large number.' How many is too many? What is the standard? Netanyahu doesn't listen to anyone."

Borrell continued, "Netanyahu was calling for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from the Rafah area in Gaza – the last part of the enclave where people took refuge – but the veteran Spanish politician questioned how to do that."

"Will they evacuate? Where? To the moon? Where will they register these people?"