Brussels: European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday agreed to keep all options open regarding possible sanctions against Israel over its human rights violations in Gaza but stopped short of taking concrete action.
According to Jordan News Agency, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after the meeting that “we will keep these options on the table and stand ready to act if Israel fails to comply with its obligations. The aim is not to punish Israel but to actually improve the situation in Gaza.” Kallas outlined a list of potential measures, including the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a ban on exports from occupied Palestinian territories, a review of visa policies, or even suspending the trade component of the partnership agreement.
French Foreign Minister Jean-No«l Barrot called for sanctions specifically targeting extremist settlers in the West Bank and urged the EU to “halt all forms of direct and indirect financial support for settlement activity.” A European Commission report issued in late June found that Israel had breached Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which requires both parties to respect human rights.
Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister Jos© Manuel Albares stated ahead of the meeting that Spain would urge the EU to adopt three concrete measures in response to Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza. He said Madrid would push for the suspension of the association agreement “at least for the duration of the war.”