Israel has breached its EU trade deal in its war in Gaza, a legal analysis by the European Union’s foreign affairs department has concluded.
The review of that agreement, which was ordered by EU foreign ministers, was leaked over the weekend. It suggests that the European Union had concluded that the way Israel is conducting its war in Gaza was in breach of Article 2 – the human rights clause – of the EU-Israel trade agreement.
“The review is very clear and we have to improve the situation”, said the EU’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas this evening.
“Israel has been breaching the Article 2. It is not intended to punish Israel, but to trigger concrete improvements for the people, and the lives of people in Gaza.”
She said that the EU would consider “further measures” if Israel did not improve the situation.
Tánaiste Simon Harris has been in Brussels for the meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Ahead of the meeting, he said it was essential that the EU proved the human rights clause wasn’t just words and actually takes action against Israel.
“If you have an agreement, and an agreement has human rights applications, if the people you have the agreement with breach those obligations, there have to be consequences”, he said.
“If not, what is the point of having the human rights obligations in the agreement?
So this is about the credibility of the European Union when it does agreements.
It’s about saying to our citizens, ‘our words matter’. it is about saying to our citizens that when we enter agreements and put the human rights clauses in, it’s not for padding, they’re not discretionary.”
“The European Union priorities are clear: A return to full ceasefire, full humanitarian access and the release of all hostages”, said Kaja Kallas.
“Our first goal is to change the situation on the ground and help the humanitarian aid get in”
She said she would not contact Israel to present the findings of the review “and look how we can improve the situation.”