EU foreign ministers dismissed demands to terminate preferential trade with Israel amid war crime accusations, underscoring ongoing divisions within the bloc regarding the Middle East.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that additional discussions will occur, including evaluating a suggestion from France and Sweden to impose tariffs on products coming from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
"We must not overlook Gaza and the West Bank," Kallas informed reporters during a press briefing.
Before the meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday, the governments of Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia urged the EU to "maintain its moral and political duty, and to protect the fundamental values that have supported the European project since its inception."
"The circumstances in Gaza are intolerable, characterized by ongoing breaches of the ceasefire and the obviously inadequate arrival of humanitarian assistance into the Strip," the letter aimed at Kallas remarked.
“The conditions in the West Bank are quickly worsening, accompanied by increasing violence toward Palestinians: extreme settlers are operating without consequences,” it noted, mentioning what it called “unacceptable fatalities” of Palestinians.
Kallas noted that member states lacked adequate support for the proposals, with no shift in stances to endorse either a complete or partial suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement.
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A complete suspension would need unanimous backing from all 27 member nations, whereas a partial suspension would necessitate a qualified majority, accounting for at least 55% of the member states and 65% of the EU populace.
The result had been broadly expected, since numerous larger member nations, such as Germany and Italy, were unlikely to back such actions.
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Simultaneously, several EU nations, such as Germany, have condemned Israel's ongoing military actions in the area, along with the latest legislative changes in the Knesset.
A representative for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that he had “voiced his significant worry regarding the situation in the Palestinian territories” lately.
“There should be no actual partial annexation of the West Bank,” the spokesperson stated Merz informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone conversation.
Kallas stated she would send the proposal from Sweden and France concerning settlement goods to the EU trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, shortly, asserting that settlements are not covered by the Association Agreement.
She dismissed allegations of the EU practicing double standards, asserting that the union is “one of the biggest supporters of Palestinians, particularly in reconstruction efforts”.
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“Assess the efforts made by others for Gaza and Palestinians, and you’ll notice that many are seeking assistance from the EU,” she stated.