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The European Union has proposed suspending trade privileges for Israeli goods and imposing sanctions on Israeli officials in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic outlined the plan at a joint press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
Kallas said the package targets “extremist Israeli ministers, violent settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the organizations that support them.” She emphasized that the goal is not to punish Israel but to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“All member states agree that the situation in Gaza is unsustainable,” Kallas said. “The war must end, the suffering must end, and all hostages must be released. We must use all tools at our disposal to achieve this goal.”
Sefcovic explained that the proposal includes partially suspending trade privileges under the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, which governs trade relations with Israel. The measure would target Israel’s preferential access to the EU market, covering free movement of goods, the right to establish businesses, provision of services, public procurement, competition, and intellectual property rights.
“This means that imports from Israel to the EU would lose their preferential status and be subject to tariffs at the same level applied to other third countries without free trade agreements,” Sefcovic said.
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, with total trade reaching €42.6 billion ($50.42 billion) in 2024. Sefcovic stressed that the suspension proposal is a carefully considered response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and is intended to be proportional.
The measure will be discussed by EU member states in the Council, where adoption requires a qualified majority.
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