Egypt Daily News – The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council met in Brussels on Tuesday to reassess its trade relationship with Israel, amid growing concerns over Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, which officials warn is pushing the region toward an imminent humanitarian catastrophe.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the bloc is actively considering a review of its Association Agreement with Israel, due to the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza and Israel’s continued restrictions on aid access.
Kallas said that the Netherlands had successfully rallied enough support within the EU to move the proposal forward, noting there was now a strong majority in favor of the review—a sign of mounting European pressure on Israel.
Speaking about the on-ground situation in Gaza, Kallas described it as a humanitarian disaster, stressing that current aid reaching the enclave is merely a drop in the ocean. She called for unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and emphasized that political and diplomatic pressure is now essential to change the status quo, urging the international community to take responsibility for protecting civilians in Gaza.
The initiative, spearheaded by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, has garnered the support of more than 10 EU countries, including France, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden.
The move is being pursued under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which allows the suspension of the agreement in cases of serious human rights violations. For the measure to pass, it would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states.
Ahead of the meeting, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed support for re-evaluating the EU’s ties with Israel, stating it was necessary to assess to what extent it respects human rights.
Meanwhile, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Tel Aviv is working to derail the Dutch initiative. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has been holding behind-the-scenes talks with several of his European counterparts, including those from Latvia, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, as well as with Kaja Kallas herself, in an attempt to sway votes.
According to the report, Israeli officials are confident that their “friendly” governments in the EU will vote against the proposal, helping block the review.
The stakes are high: the EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, making any suspension of the agreement a potentially devastating economic blow.
Official figures show that 32 percent of Israel’s total goods trade is with the EU, amounting to 42.6 billion euros in 2024. EU imports from Israel reached 15.9 billion euros, primarily in machinery and transport equipment (7 billion euros, 43.9 percent), chemicals (2.9 billion euros, 18 percent), and other manufactured goods (1.9 billion euros, 12.1 percent).
