The European Union has announced a proposal to suspend trade preferences with Israel and impose sanctions on senior Israeli officials. The decision comes in response to what the EU describes as severe human rights violations in Gaza.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the situation in Gaza and the West Bank has become “untenable.” She warned that the ongoing conflict threatens the future of a two-state solution. According to her, the goal of the new measures is not punishment but to improve humanitarian conditions for civilians.
Kallas criticized Israel’s latest offensive in Gaza City, calling it an escalation that will deepen civilian suffering. She noted that public opinion across Europe is pressing for stronger political action to end the crisis.
Maros Sefcovic, the EU Commissioner for Trade, confirmed that the measures would affect key parts of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement. This includes trade in goods, services, procurement, and intellectual property. In practice, Israeli imports would lose preferential access to the European Union market and face higher duties.
He stressed that the European Union remains Israel’s largest trading partner, with goods trade worth €42.6 billion in 2024. The suspension, he explained, was carefully considered in light of worsening humanitarian conditions.
The proposal now goes to the EU Council, where it requires majority approval. In addition, sanctions have been suggested against Hamas, extremist Israeli ministers, and violent settlers. These require unanimous approval from all EU member states.
The Commission also announced the suspension of €14 million in bilateral funding to the Israeli government. However, support for Jewish cultural projects and Holocaust remembrance will continue.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will maintain cooperation with Israeli civil society but stressed that the violence in Gaza must end immediately.
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