The European Union’s diplomatic service said on Friday there were indications that Israel had breached its human rights obligations under the terms of a pact governing its ties with the bloc, according to a document seen by Reuters.
Citing assessments by independent international institutions, the European External Action Service said “there are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”
The report comes after months of deepening concern in European capitals about Israel’s operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
“Israel’s continued restrictions to the provision of food, medicines, medical equipment, and other vital supplies affect the entire population of Gaza present on the affected territory,” the document said.
Asked about the EU review, an Israeli official called it “a one-sided report that exemplifies the double standards the EU uses towards Israel.”
Under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which came into force in 2000, the EU and Israel agreed that their relationship “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.”
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, announced in May that the bloc would examine whether Israel was complying with the terms of the pact, after over half of EU members backed the conducting of a review.
The report includes a section dedicated to the situation in Gaza, covering issues related to denial of humanitarian aid, attacks with a significant number of casualties, attacks on hospitals and medical facilities, displacement, and lack of accountability.
The report also looks at the situation in the West Bank, including settler violence.
The document relies on “facts verified by and assessments made by independent international institutions, and with a focus on most recent events in Gaza and the West Bank,” it said.
Israel has said that it respects international law and that operations in Gaza are necessary to destroy Hamas, the Palestinian terror group responsible for the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which started the ongoing war in the Strip.
EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the review during a gathering in Brussels on Monday. Member countries remain divided in their approach to Israel.
While some ministers could advocate for moving toward taking action based on the review, no concrete decisions are expected at Monday’s session.
Diplomats expect EU officials will reach out to Israel with the outcome of the review in an effort to influence it, and that ministers will return to the subject during a July meeting.
Several European diplomats said they expected Kallas to propose some options during that meeting, with one stressing no action was likely to be agreed on before the end of the summer, adding the war in Iran has moved the goalposts — pushing some nations to voice renewed support for Israel.
The EU is Israel’s biggest commercial partner, with 42.6 billion euros ($48.2 billion) traded in goods in 2024. Trade in services reached 25.6 billion euros in 2023.
More than 100 aid groups and other organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, on Thursday urged Brussels to suspend the EU-Israel agreement “at least in part.”
Suspending the EU-Israel accord outright would require unanimity among member states — something diplomats have said from the outset was virtually impossible.
Halting diplomatic dialogue with Israel — a measure that was already rejected last year — also requires backing from all EU countries.
Trade measures could instead be adopted with a qualified majority, diplomats said, cautioning however that agreeing on those might also prove tricky.