EU Commission wants to see sanctions against Israel

Israel

EU Commission wants to see sanctions against Israel

Nivette Dawod

Updated 13.59 | Published 13.05

 

Photo: Virginia Mayo / AP

The EU Commission wants to freeze the trade agreement with Israel.

It also wants to introduce sanctions against Israeli ministers, violent settlers and Hamas members.

– The goal is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, says EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas at a press conference, according to TT.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual speech last week that tougher sanctions against Israel due to the warfare in  Gaza would be presented.

Now there is a proposal on the table, announces EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas.

– Today I have presented a robust sanctions package against Hamas terrorists, extremist ministers in the Israeli government and violent settlers. The Commission has also adopted a proposal to partially freeze trade conditions, she said at a press conference according to TT.

The situation in Gaza

The Israeli ministers in question are the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich.

– The goal is not to punish Israel. The goal is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, she emphasizes.

She also talked about the Israeli military's invasion of Gaza City, which has now begun.

– The Israeli government's advance into Gaza City is a new escalation and will further deepen the humanitarian crisis.

Further details about the proposal will be presented later today.

 

Palestinians flee along the coastal road to southern Gaza. Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

Sweden is in favor

The Reuters news agency notes that the Commission proposal currently does not have enough support among EU members to be voted through. For the proposal to be approved, a qualified majority is required, and for this to be possible, one of the larger member states, such as Italy or Germany, must support the proposal.

So far, both countries have blocked every proposal for measures against Israel.

– My question to all counterparts, because it is not just Germany, is that if you agree that the situation is extremely difficult, that the situation is catastrophic and unsustainable, then the question is: what do we do about this? If you do not support these measures, what measures can you support? Give us alternative proposals, Kallas told the Euronews website yesterday.

Sweden has been in favor of freezing the EU's trade agreement with Israel since the summer. EU-kommissionen vill frysa handelsavtalet med Israel.