CITIZENS NEWS

EU to propose sanctions against Israel over Gaza human rights concerns

By isabelle // 2025-07-07

• EU plans punitive measures against Israel for alleged human rights violations in Gaza, including potential trade suspensions and arms embargoes.
• Unanimous support is unlikely due to opposition from Hungary and Germany, blocking stronger action.
• Some of the proposed actions include suspending the EU-Israel trade agreement and sanctions on officials linked to Palestinian violence.
• Germany and Hungary resist sanctions, prioritizing arms deals and alliances over accountability.
• Critics accuse the West of enabling Israeli actions, as Palestinian civilian deaths surpass 60,000 since 2023.

The European Union is preparing to formally propose punitive measures against Israel over its military offensive in Gaza, accusing the Jewish state of breaching human rights obligations under their bilateral trade agreement. According to exclusive reports from Euractiv and Euronews, the EU’s diplomatic service will present five options—including trade suspensions, arms embargoes, and individual sanctions—to its member states this Wednesday, with foreign ministers set to review them on July 15. However, unanimous support is unlikely due to strong opposition from Israel’s staunch allies like Hungary and Germany, leaving Palestinian civilians trapped in what critics call an ongoing genocide. For decades, Israel has systematically oppressed Palestinians, from the occupied West Bank to besieged Gaza. Now, as civilian deaths continue to mount and famine looms in the enclave, the EU is under growing pressure to act. Yet internal divisions reveal a bloc torn between moral responsibility and political pragmatism, with key nations prioritizing arms deals and geopolitical alliances over justice for Palestine.

A laundry list of options with little hope of adoption

The proposed measures include suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which governs trade and diplomatic relations, or imposing sanctions on Israeli officials, military figures, and extremist settlers accused of violence against Palestinians. Trade restrictions, an arms embargo, and halting Israel’s participation in EU research programs like Horizon Europe are also on the table. While this marks the first time such options will be formally presented, EU officials admit unanimity is nearly impossible. Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has repeatedly shielded Israel from censure, blocking sanctions on settlers in 2023. Germany, Israel’s largest European arms supplier, has also resisted punitive actions, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz dismissing criticism despite acknowledging Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe. "Inflicting such immense suffering on the civilian population, as has been increasingly happening in recent days, can no longer be justified in the fight against Hamas terror," Merz conceded, yet his government remains a vocal defender of Tel Aviv. Even the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has privately rejected trade measures, underscoring the institutional barriers to accountability. A source close to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas admitted her priority is simply to "stop the killing and get the food, medicine and aid into Gaza", not punish Israel. The EU’s paralysis reflects a deeper moral failure. While Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia push for stronger action, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Hungary form a formidable bloc against sanctions. Targeted measures, like those imposed by the UK and Canada on far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, are seen as the only viable option, but they, too, require full consensus. Israel has dismissed the EU’s review as "outrageous," framing its war as a defense of "shared Western enemies." But with more than 60,000 Palestinians killed since 2023—compared to 1,200 Israelis—the asymmetry of violence is impossible to ignore. Critics argue the West’s complicity, through arms sales and diplomatic cover, fuels what human rights groups term apartheid. The EU’s forthcoming proposal is a litmus test for Western hypocrisy. Unless member states overcome their divisions, the "options" will remain symbolic, and Gaza’s suffering will continue unabated. Sources for this article include: RT.com Euractiv.com EuroNews.com YNetNews.com

Israel violence genocide sanctions twisted European Union human rights chaos humanitarian Gaza