The European Commission has proposed sanctions against several Israeli Cabinet ministers and violent settlers, alongside a partial suspension of Israel’s trade privileges with the bloc.
Officials in Brussels say the move is aimed at easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza rather than punishing Israel.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said all member states agree the situation in Gaza is “untenable”:
“The aim is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The war must end, the suffering must stop, and the hostages must be released.”
She also criticised Israel’s military push into Gaza City, warning that the escalation would only deepen the crisis.
Trade concessions under threat
European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič explained that the proposal would affect core parts of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, meaning Israeli goods would no longer enjoy preferential access to EU markets. Instead, they would face standard tariffs applied to any non-EU country without a trade deal.
The EU remains Israel’s largest trading partner, with goods trade reaching €42.6 billion in 2024. Šefčovič described the move as “a carefully considered response to an increasingly urgent situation”. The EU Council will decide on the proposal by qualified majority.
Sanctions and frozen funding
The Commission also announced sanctions on Hamas, extremist Israeli ministers and violent settlers. In addition, around €14 million in bilateral support earmarked for Israel between 2020 and 2024 will be halted.
Dubravka Suica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, stressed that this suspension applied only to the Israeli government, while funding for civil society, projects against antisemitism, and Holocaust remembrance initiatives such as Yad Vashem would remain unaffected.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement:
“The horrific events taking place in Gaza on a daily basis must stop. That is why we are proposing to suspend trade concessions with Israel, impose sanctions on extremist ministers and settlers, and freeze bilateral support.”
Humanitarian toll in Gaza
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have killed almost 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children. Relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable, triggering famine and the spread of disease.
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