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The European Union's Foreign Affairs Council will discuss suspending its association agreement with Israel, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Tuesday, as international pressure mounts over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"The Dutch foreign minister has put forward a proposal to do the review of Article 2 of our association agreement with Israel, and we will discuss this," Kallas said at the doorstep of the council meeting in Brussels.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which came into force in June 2000, grants Israel numerous privileges in the EU market. Trade volume between the EU and Israel reached €46.8 billion ($52.6B) in 2022, making the EU Israel's largest trading partner.
The association agreement contains clauses related to human rights, which several member states now argue Israel may be violating with its actions in Gaza.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot expressed support for reviewing the agreement, calling Israel's conduct in Gaza "completely unacceptable."
"This agreement contains political and commercial dimensions that neither Israel nor the European Union would benefit from terminating, but the situation of civilians (in Gaza) forces us to move forward on this," Barrot told France Inter radio.
He added that once human rights violations are established, "it is possible that the accord can be suspended," noting that such a decision would have trade impacts on Israel.
Kallas emphasized that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, stating, "Humanitarian aid should reach Gaza as soon as possible. Of course, Israel's decision to let some of the aid in is a drop in the ocean. It's welcome, but it's not enough."
She highlighted that thousands of trucks carrying aid are waiting at the borders, adding, "It is European money that has funded this humanitarian aid, and it has to reach the people."
The United Nations announced on Tuesday it had received permission from Israel for about 100 more aid trucks to enter Gaza, a significant increase from the nine trucks cleared on Monday, of which only five actually entered Gaza, according to U.N. humanitarian office spokesperson Jens Laerke.
The potential suspension discussions come as the leaders of Britain, Canada, and France issued a rare joint statement on Monday threatening "concrete actions" against Israel if it does not stop its renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin also expressed strong condemnation on Tuesday, saying: "The world is now sickened and absolutely disgusted with the level of bombing and starvation that is ongoing in Gaza. This slaughter of the innocent must stop."
Martin described the situation as "the weaponization of aid," which he called "a war crime," adding that it "represents the collective punishment of a people."
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Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Tuesday that ceasefire negotiations in Doha in recent weeks have not progressed due to "fundamental differences between parties."
He noted that Qatar, Egypt, and the US are continuing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza but that Israel's ongoing military offensive had undermined peace efforts, particularly after the release of Israeli-American captive Edan Alexander last week.
The Israeli military campaign, which began after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack that killed about 1,200 people, has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and has pushed nearly all of Gaza's two million residents from their homes.
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