The European Union is preparing to present a list of possible sanctions against Israel due to concerns over human rights violations during the Gaza conflict. Options include suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, imposing an arms embargo, and sanctioning Israeli government ministers, military officials, and settlers.
According to reports, the EU’s diplomatic service is expected to present a list of options to EU ambassadors on Wednesday. Among the proposed measures are a partial or full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, sanctions on Israeli government ministers, military officials, and extremist settlers, trade restrictions, an arms embargo, and the suspension of scientific cooperation. These measures have been discussed informally in the past, but this is the first time they will be formally outlined. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to review the proposals on July 15.
Implementing any sanctions against Israel would require the unanimous agreement of all 27 EU member states, which is widely seen as unlikely. Hungary, which has consistently supported Israel, blocked previous sanctions on Israeli settlers. The document follows an internal EU review of the Association Agreement last month, which found ‘indications of a breach’ of Israel’s human rights commitments. Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the review as ‘unwarranted,’ stating that the country is engaged in an existential struggle against shared enemies of the West.
In late June, the European Council called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while highlighting the ‘unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation.’ The Council also urged Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to flow in. Although Israel claimed to have done so, many media outlets reported little real change on the ground.
Currently, there are no EU sanctions imposed on Israel. However, the EU has in the past sanctioned certain Israeli individuals and organizations, mainly those it described as ‘extremist’ settlers in the West Bank who were allegedly involved in violence against Palestinian residents.
Following Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in 2023, the latter retaliated with a military operation in Gaza, resulting in unprecedented destruction. Official figures cited around 60,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis killed in the conflict.