EU-Israel Council meets amid calls for Gaza sanctions

Shafaq News/ The European Union and Israel will hold the thirteenth meeting of their Association Council on Monday in Brussels, where discussions will focus on the Gaza conflict, Israeli-Palestinian relations, and broader regional and global issues.

The high-level political dialogue will also cover EU-Israel bilateral relations, with European officials expected to address human rights concerns raised by international rights groups.

The meeting will be chaired by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for the Mediterranean, and representatives of EU member states will also be present.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Kallas and EU foreign ministers to “unequivocally condemn Israel’s atrocity crimes and other serious violations of international law” during the talks.

According to HRW, EU leaders “should signal an end to the bloc’s reluctance to acknowledge and address Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity—including apartheid—and acts of genocide.”

The rights group called on the EU to impose sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for abuses, suspend arms sales, and review Israel’s compliance with human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

“There can be no business as usual with a government responsible for crimes against humanity, including apartheid, and acts of genocide, and whose sitting prime minister is wanted for atrocity crimes by the International Criminal Court,” said Claudio Francavilla, associate EU director at Human Rights Watch. “The only purpose of this Association Council meeting should be to call out those crimes and to announce long overdue measures in response.”

In a letter to EU leaders, 125 civil society organizations, including HRW, urged the bloc to consider suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. They cited Article 2, which defines human rights and democratic principles as “essential elements” of the treaty.

Violations of these principles could lead to the agreement’s suspension. Spain and Ireland had requested such a move in February 2024, but the EU has yet to respond.

“Europe’s reluctance to condemn and address Israel’s atrocity crimes has fueled them and given rise to well-grounded accusations of EU double standards,” Francavilla said. “Unless the EU drastically changes course, it will provide a blank check for further abuses and continue to undermine the EU’s stated commitment to human rights and the rules-based international order.”

The Israeli war in Gaza killed over 62,500 Palestinians mostly children and women, with at least 14,000 people still trapped under the rubble.

According to the latest data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization, and the Palestinian government, nearly all homes have been either damaged or destroyed, while 80 percent of commercial facilities and 88 percent of school buildings have been affected.

Healthcare infrastructure has also suffered, with only 50 percent of hospitals remaining partially functional. Additionally, 68 percent of road networks and cropland have been damaged.