A Dutch proposal to review the European Union’s trade and cooperation agreement with Israel is gaining momentum among member states ahead of a formal discussion by foreign ministers next week.
Eight EU countries, including France, Belgium, Finland, Portugal and Sweden, have publicly endorsed the initiative put forward by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who cited concerns that Israel’s humanitarian blockade on Gaza violates international law.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the situation in Gaza as “shameful” and said suspending cooperation with Israel was “an open question” for the EU.
“We can’t just pretend nothing happened,” Macron told French broadcaster TF1 on Tuesday. “We have to raise the pressure on these issues.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded by accusing Macron of choosing to “stand with a murderous Islamist terrorist organization and echo its despicable propaganda.”
Veldkamp’s letter to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas argues that the 10-week blockade preventing critical supplies from entering Gaza violates Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which requires relations to be based on respect for human rights.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading authority on hunger crises, reports that nearly half a million Palestinians face possible starvation while another million barely have enough food.
The EU currently stands as Israel’s largest trading partner.
The proposal requires unanimous support from all 27 member states to proceed, which remains unlikely given the deep divisions within the bloc over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has indicated support for an Israeli-backed aid distribution plan, saying during a visit to Jerusalem that aid would still flow “based on international humanitarian principles.”
The European Commission confirmed EU foreign ministers will examine the Dutch proposal on May 20, with a spokesperson emphasising that any review of the Association Agreement would require unanimous backing from all member states.
The war began with Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw over 250 taken hostage. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israel’s military campaign has killed over 52,000 people in Gaza.
Most of Gaza’s 2.1 million population has been displaced, many multiple times. An estimated 70% of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, with healthcare, water and sanitation systems collapsing amid shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
Experts, governments, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organisations have accused Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people.
(With information from Euronews)
Read more:
