Israel Facing EU Sanctions Over Alleged Rights Violations

The European Union is preparing to formally consider a range of sanctions against Israel in response to alleged human rights abuses committed during recent military operations in Gaza, according to diplomatic sources cited by Euractiv.

The options under discussion reportedly include a partial or complete suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, sanctions targeting Israeli ministers and military officers, restrictions on trade and arms sales, and a halt to bilateral scientific cooperation.

Though such ideas have been floated informally in the past, this marks the first time they will be officially compiled and presented in writing. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to review the document at a high-level meeting on July 15.

Any punitive action against Israel would require the unanimous consent of all 27 EU member states, a threshold that observers widely consider difficult, if not impossible, to reach. Countries like Hungary, which has historically sided with Israel, have previously vetoed similar moves, including proposed sanctions on settlers.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the review, stating that it "should not be taken seriously," and insisted that the country is engaged in an "existential struggle against shared enemies of the West."

Gaza War and EU Pressure

The push for sanctions comes in the wake of the 2023 war between Israel and Hamas, which erupted following a surprise /news-israel/former-hostage-liri-albag-rejoins-idf/news-israel/former-hostage-liri-albag-rejoins-idf

Although the EU currently does not impose comprehensive sanctions on Israel, it has previously targeted individual Israeli settlers and organizations accused of carrying out or supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. If adopted, the proposed measures would represent the most significant EU policy shift toward Israel in decades.