The European Union has faced criticism for halting sanctions against Israel amid former U.S. President Donald Trump’s peacemaking initiatives in the Middle East, as the fragile ceasefire in Gaza faces renewed threats, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Guardian. After a meeting with EU foreign ministers on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced a pause on measures to suspend preferential trade agreements with Israel and sanctions targeting individuals responsible for escalating the conflict on both sides.
Kallas explained that the context had shifted since the sanctions were first proposed last month. Acknowledging “divergent views” among member states, she stated that ministers had agreed: “We don’t move with the measures now, but we don’t take them off the table either because the situation is fragile.”
Senior EU officials have expressed concerns over this decision. Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, former EU representative to the Palestinian territories, told the Guardian that Kallas overlooked the importance of legal accountability. He said that sanctions are not solely intended to coerce behavioral change but are essential tools for the EU to respond to violations of European and international law.
In June, the EU concluded that Israel had violated human rights obligations under their association agreement, governing trade and cooperation between the two sides. Legal experts note that the EU is also obliged to align its policies with a 2024 non-binding International Court of Justice opinion mandating Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories as soon as possible.
Burgsdorff co-organized a statement last week, signed by 414 former diplomats and senior officials, calling for decisive EU action against “spoilers and extremists on both sides” whose activities threaten the creation of a future Palestinian state. While the statement welcomed Trump’s peace plan, it noted that Palestinian self-determination remained “vaguely addressed.”
Nathalie Tocci, a former adviser to two EU foreign policy high representatives, warned that abandoning sanctions now would be a serious mistake. “This is exactly the moment when you need to keep the pressure on,” she said, referring to the first phase of Trump’s plan, which has been disrupted by violence and prompted urgent diplomatic efforts.
EU leaders are scheduled to discuss the Israel-Gaza conflict at a summit on Thursday. The bloc remains divided on the Middle East, with countries like Spain and Ireland advocating strongly for Palestine, while Hungary and the Czech Republic support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist government.
Recent mass protests in several EU countries over casualties in Gaza had led the European Commission last month to propose suspending preferential trade and imposing sanctions on individuals deemed responsible for escalating the conflict.
While some critics argue that the EU is “a payer, not a player” due to its role as the largest donor to Palestinians—providing €1.5bn (£1.3bn) in humanitarian aid since 7 October—EU officials assert the bloc’s diplomatic influence should be recognized. They are pushing for EU representation on Trump’s “board of peace,” reflecting anticipated contributions to Gaza’s reconstruction and seeking Gulf state involvement in funding the estimated $70bn (£52bn) rebuilding costs after the two-year conflict.
A leaked EU document indicated that while the bloc supports Trump’s plan, the roles of the Palestinian Authority and a two-state solution could be “further elaborated,” and the plan fails to address conditions in the West Bank. Burgsdorff emphasized that active EU diplomatic engagement is essential to fill these gaps and pursue a credible two-state solution.
International stabilisation efforts are also planned, with Egypt expected to lead the force, alongside potential contributions from Turkey, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan. EU leaders are scheduled to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss mediation strategies.
Claudio Francavilla, an associate EU director at Human Rights Watch, criticized European governments for shielding Israeli authorities from accountability. Responding to Kallas’ statement, he noted that while the scale of Israel’s crimes in Gaza may have changed, “its unlawful occupation and crimes of apartheid, forced displacement, torture, and oppression of Palestinians continue unabated.”
Earlier we wrote that EU Considers Letting New Members Join Without Full Voting Rights.
