Agencies
Brussels/Gaza
Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday he wants to “put pressure on the Israeli government” to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
To stop the fighting, the United States and many EU countries have tried to convince the Palestinian Hamas movement to release the hostages taken in the October 7 attacks, Borrell said at an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.
“This has not happened yet, and I don’t see a hope for this to happen,” he said.
Now, while stressing that “both sides have to be put under pressure,” Borrell said he wants the European Union to examine if Israel is acting within international law in Gaza.
The EU foreign policy chief said he will propose suspending political dialogue with Israel over its conduct in the war in the Gaza Strip.
In addition, Borrell wants the import of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which are illegal under international law, to be banned.
However, the European Union decided not to suspend its regular political dialogue with Israel for the time being, despite serious allegations regarding Israel’s conduct during the war in the Gaza Strip.
At a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, several countries signalled that they did not want to agree to a corresponding proposal by Borrell. Because it would have to be decided unanimously, it cannot be implemented for the time being.
Diplomats said the politicians who did not support Borrell’s initiative at the meeting included foreign ministers from Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Netherlands.
However, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed openness to targeted action against Israeli government members who question the right of Palestinians to exist or international law.
Borrell had recently put forward a proposal for punitive measures against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The top EU diplomat said he has “exhausted the words” to describe what is happening in the Middle East, noting reported casualty figures for people in Gaza as high as 44,000 - 70 percent of them women and children.
“There are concrete proposals in order to see if what’s happening in Gaza is in accordance with international law,” Borrell said.
The EU foreign policy chief said in October that he wanted to lead a debate on Israel’s conduct in the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon at the next foreign ministers’ meeting.
Political dialogue with Israel is regulated by the EU-Israel Association Agreement that entered into force in 2000, which provides for regular exchanges to strengthen the partnership.
It also states that relations between the sides are based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.
Spain and Ireland suggested several months ago that the Association Agreement with Israel be scrutinized.
The deal covers not only political dialogue but also economic cooperation in areas such as industry, energy, transport and tourism.
EU diplomats have stressed that suspending political dialogue as Borrell suggests does not mean suspending the Association Agreement as a whole. Nor would it mean stopping the work of the Association Council, which is the main body handling relations between the two parties under the agreement.
