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Von der Leyen added that the commission “will set up a Palestine donor group next month,� part of which will focus on Gaza’s future reconstruction. She said the events in Gaza and the suffering of children and families “has shaken the conscience of the world.�

“Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity. This must stop,� she added, to applause in the European Parliament at its meeting in Strasbourg, France.

Israel did not immediately offer a response to Von der Leyen's announcement.

Warning Gaza City residents to evacuate

Von der Leyen’s comments followed ahead of its plans to take control of what it portrays as Hamas’ last remaining stronghold and where hundreds of thousands of people remain under conditions of famine.

An estimated 1 million Palestinians — around half of Gaza’s overall population — live in the area of north Gaza around Gaza City, according to the Israeli military and the United Nations. Many are exhausted from moving multiple times and unsure if traveling south will be safer.

The warning came on Tuesday ahead of an , where negotiations over ending the war in Gaza appeared at a standstill. The warnings directed at Gaza City are the first calling for a full evacuation.

EU Commission plans to freeze Israel support

Von der Leyen also said she plans to freeze support to Israel given by the European Union’s executive branch, which would not require the approval of the 27 member countries.

It was not immediately clear how much financial support the executive branch, known as the European Commission, provides to Israel and what it is used for.

“We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold. We will stop all payments in these areas, without affecting our work with Israeli civil society or Yad Vashem,� the Holocaust memorial, von der Leyen told EU lawmakers.

The commission also gives support to the Palestinian Authority.

War nears its 2-year anniversary

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people on Oct. 7, 2023, and killed some 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians. Forty-eight hostages are still held inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed to be alive.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza’s Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half of those killed were women and children. The U.N. and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.

Large parts of major cities in Gaza have been completely destroyed and around 90% of some 2 million Palestinians have been displaced.