EU finds ‘indications' Israel is breaching trade deal with its actions in Gaza
'There are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Associated Agreement,' according to the review by the EU's diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service.
A third of Israel's imports come from the EU, valued at about £20 billion annually, while Europe imports less than 1% of its goods from Israel, according to the EU Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security.
Suspending trade ties would require a unanimous decision, which is likely impossible to obtain from countries like Austria, Germany and Hungary that tend to back Israel.
Other actions — such as ending visa-free travel to Europe for Israelis, sanctioning Israeli settlers in the West Bank or halting academic partnerships — could be pushed if a 'qualified majority' — 15 of the 27 nations representing at least 65% of the population of the EU — agree.
Countries like the Netherlands, Ireland and Spain have been vocal in their support for the Palestinians in Gaza as Israel battles Hamas.
'When all the focus is on Iran and the escalation regarding Iran, we should not forget about Gaza,' said Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp, who led the charge for the review.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostages.
About 56,000 Palestinians have since been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, and little relatively aid has entered since Israel ended the latest ceasefire in March.
Outrage over Israel's actions in Gaza has grown in Europe as images of suffering Palestinians have driven protests in London, Berlin, Brussels, Madrid and Amsterdam.
Spain has cancelled arms deals with Israel and called for an arms embargo.
Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno on Monday called for suspending the EU-Israel trade agreement.
'The time for words and declarations is behind. We had enough time,' he told the meeting. 'And at the same time, Palestinians in Gaza have no more time to lose. Every day, babies, women, men are being killed. This is the time for action.'
Mr Manuel Albares also called for an embargo on EU countries selling weapons to Israel and for the widening of individual sanctions on anyone undermining the proposed two-state solution.
'Europe must show courage,' he told journalists.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Amnesty International says Israel and aid system use starvation to commit Gaza genocide
Amnesty International issued a report Thursday claiming a controversial Israel i- and U.S.-backed system to distribute aid in Gaza uses starvation tactics against Palestinians to continue to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip during Israel's war with Hamas. The U.K.-based human rights group condemned Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which the U.S. and Israel have backed to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. Israel's foreign minister denounced the Amnesty report, saying the organization has 'joined forces with Hamas and fully adopted all of its propaganda lies.' Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 500 Palestinians have been killed at or near GHF distribution centers over the past month. The centers are guarded by private security contractors and located near Israeli military positions. Palestinian officials and witnesses have accused Israeli forces of opening fire at crowds of people moving near the sites. The Amnesty report said Israel has 'turned aid-seeking into a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians' through GHF's militarized hubs. The conditions have created "a deadly mix of hunger and disease pushing the population past breaking point.' 'This devastating daily loss of life as desperate Palestinians try to collect aid is the consequence of their deliberate targeting by Israeli forces and the foreseeable consequence of irresponsible and lethal methods of distribution,' said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty's secretary general. Israel rejects claims The Israeli army says it has fired warning shots to control crowds and only fires at people it says are acting suspiciously. The Foreign Ministry and COGAT, the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, said Israel has facilitated the entry of over 3,000 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip since May 19 and GHF has delivered boxes of food with the equivalent of 56 million meals. Humanitarian organizations say that amount is not nearly enough to meet overwhelming need in Gaza. GHF did not immediately return requests for comment. The World Food Programme says despite the new Israel-backed initiative, food consumption reached a critical low last month, with food diversity reaching its worst level since the conflict began. 'The continued closure of crossings, intensified violence since March, soaring food prices, and extremely limited humanitarian and commercial supplies have severely restricted access to even basic food items,' the WFP said in a June report. GHF hubs are close to Israeli military positions Amnesty's report follows a statement earlier this week from more than 165 major international charities and non-governmental organizations calling for an immediate end to the foundation. They say the new mechanism allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and is ineffective. It's the latest sign of trouble for the GHF, a secretive initiative headed by an evangelical leader who is a close ally of President Donald Trump. Last month, the U.S. government pledged $30 million for the group to continue operation, the first known U.S. donation to the group, whose other funding sources remain opaque. GHF started distributing aid May 26 following a nearly three-month Israeli blockade that pushed Gaza's population of more than 2 million to the brink of famine. Palestinian witnesses have describe scenes of chaos around the distribution sites, and two contractors in the operation have told The Associated Press that colleagues fired live ammunition and stun grenades toward crowds of people. Palestinians often must travel long distances to reach the sites. In a statement Tuesday, GHF rejected criticism of its operations and claimed it has delivered more than 52 million meals to hungry Palestinians. 'Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza,' GHF said. GHF has called for Israel's military to investigate the allegations from Gaza's Health Ministry, but last month the organization said there has been no violence in or around its centers and its personnel have not opened fire. Israel demanded the alternative plan because it accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid. The U.N. and aid groups deny there is significant diversion. Amnesty's allegations of genocide Amnesty accused Israel last year of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip during its war with Hamas, saying it has sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure, and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid. Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has adamantly rejected genocide allegations against it as an antisemitic 'blood libel.' It is challenging such allegations filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice and has rejected the International Criminal Court's accusations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister committed war crimes in Gaza. ___ Dazio reported from Berlin. ___
The Herald Scotland
39 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
War of words grows over pro-Palestine protest at arts centre
The Art Workers for Palestine Group has stepped up pressure for senior figures to be 'removed' amid claims that participants in a sit-in protest were 'kettled, brutalised and oppressed.' Read more: The CCA, which has been targeted over a refusal to publicly support a boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, has expressed 'regret' over the impact of last week's protest. However it has claimed it was forced to call in 'law enforcement' in response to a 'forced entry' of its building. The CCA in Glasgow city centre has been running since 1992. Social media posts by the campaign group on the morning of June 24 had urged supporters to 'mobilise' and 'enter the building' at 12 noon after the group was refused permission to stage a programme of their own events in a 'liberated zone.' The CCA has claimed the group demanded that the venue agreed in advance that the police would not be called 'under any circumstances,' and was refused permission due to the venue's 'safeguarding responsibilities.' The centre, which insisted the planned events would have 'breached' the venue's licensing and insurance obligations, said it had been advised to close the building by the police and security staff. However the CCA has denied claims that it had 'colluded' with the police and 'pre-arranged' for officers to be in the area before the forced entry of the building. Last month the CCA said that its board had been "unable to reach a consensus" over whether to endorse the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, despite calls from more than 800 supporters of an online petition. At the time, the centre said it would be instigating a "transparent, values-based consultation with our staff and the broader CCA community to address the substantive issues." The AWFPS group announced plans for five days of events at the CCA, saying: 'It is up to us to reclaim our arts institutions that are heading in an increasingly disturbing direction.' On the morning of June 24, the group told supporters: 'We are shocked that the CCA are saying that they will not let art workers run our liberated zone programme or allow us to enter the building. 'We need as many people as possible to mobile at CCA at 12 noon to enter the building and reclaim the public courtyard so that the liberated zone can go ahead.' A new statement issued by the CCA said: 'The CCA Board was unable to reach a consensus on publicly endorsing the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) at its last board meeting. This is due to the potential legal complexities and implications for a charity to do so. 'To fulfil its charitable aim, the organisation must remain independent politically. CCA is responsible for maintaining and supporting employment in the arts, including funding programmes of artist development, and must therefore always consider its financial and legal sustainability very carefully. 'The CCA does not hold any investment in companies, Israeli or international, that are involved in the violation of Palestinian rights. We also do not have any partnerships with Israeli academic or cultural institutions. 'We review commercial and programming decisions on a case-by-case basis and recognise the need to develop a formal ethical framework to guide these decisions in future. 'On June 23 Art Workers for Palestine Scotland (AW4PS) announced a week-long programme of events to take place in the CCA's courtyard space. 'AW4PS included in their notification that CCA would agree not to contact the police or security personnel under any circumstances, which in light of our safeguarding responsibilities and legal duties, we were not able to host. 'There was no agreement reached, and security, legal, and insurance concerns remained unresolved. 'AWFPS had not entered into an agreement with the CCA to ensure that contracting, safeguarding, risk assessment, and access considerations were in place for a five-day event, involving a wide range of participants, including children, which was announced with only 24 hours' notice. 'CCA would have been in breach of its legal obligations regarding licensing and insurance if we had allowed the event to go ahead. 'On the morning of June 24, the CCA was closed to the public, with access for staff, cultural tenants and contract hires only. 'AWFPS made a post on social media saying that they needed 'as many people to mobilise at CCA at 12 noon to enter the building and reclaim the public courtyard.' 'At noon, groups gathered outside both entrances. Only after a group entered the building, the police were called. 'We regret the impact on all those involved inside and outside of the building. We can confirm that CCA has not called for any charges that have been pressed, nor have we had further contact with police regarding this matter.' The AWFPS group said it was 'deeply disturbed and appalled' at the CCA's latest statement, and stepped up its demand for the "removal" of interim director Steve Slater, chair Jean Cameron and board member Steve Slater. It said: 'Rather than taking accountability for their actions, the CCA's leadership continues to misrepresent events, discredit organisers and align itself with a growing culture of state repression that seeks to delegitimise protest and Palestinian solidarity. 'Most importantly, the CCA fails to apologise to the many people that were kettled, brutalised and oppressed last Thursday. 'The CCA's invocation of 'safeguarding to justify their actions rings hollow when their immediate response was to call the police, a move that is inherently unsafe for many of the very communities they claim to support. 'Framing police involvement as care is not safeguarding, it is harm. 'We are not outsiders. We are arts workers, artists who have exhibited at the CCA, community members, and people who one imagined the CCA as a platform for sharing radical, thoughtful and collective practice.' The CCA was opened in 1992 at the home of the former Third Eye Centre, which was founded in 1974. Writers, artists and performers who have shown work or performed there include Allen Ginsberg, Whoopi Goldberg, John Byrne, Billy Connolly, Edwin Morgan, Kathy Acker, Damien Hirst, Sophie Calleite, Nathan Coley, Jacqueline Donachie, Louise Hopkins, Carol Rhodes, Richard Wright, David Shrigley and Ross Sinclair. The venue has had a number of difficulties over the last decade, including being forced to close for several months due to the impact of the 2018 Glasgow School of Art fire, a long-running dispute over the pay and conditions of workers at its cafe-bar, and financial problems, which forced the venue to close temporarily in December. The venue finally reopened in April after securing a new £3.4 million Scottish Government funding deal for the next three years.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Nandy demands ‘accountability at highest levels' after Bob Vylan broadcast
Lisa Nandy told the Commons she has heard from the BBC but was 'not satisfied with the response'. Punk duo Bob Vylan led chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during their Worthy Farm set last weekend, and face an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police. London's Metropolitan Police is also investigating the two Bobs – who perform using the aliases Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan – for allegedly making similar comments at Alexandra Palace in May. Conservative shadow culture secretary Stuart Andrew told the Commons: 'Given the BBC are seemingly able to pull live broadcasts when things go wrong at football matches, for example, it's extraordinary that this didn't happen on this occasion. 'Can the Secretary of State update the House on the discussions she's had with the BBC, and why the same thing didn't happen on this occasion? Lisa Nandy said she expects more answers from the BBC 'to be forthcoming imminently' (PA) 'What due diligence was carried out by them about the acts that were performing? 'And given as she's said we're still waiting for a response to the previous Hamas documentary, is she satisfied with those conversations she's had and the urgency that the organisation are taking?' Ms Nandy replied: 'No, the answer is that I'm not satisfied with the response that I've had.' The Culture Secretary previously made a ministerial statement in the Commons on Monday, when she said 'it should have been foreseeable that there would be problems with broadcasts'. She told MPs then that she wanted 'rapid action to make sure this cannot happen again'. In Thursday's update, Ms Nandy told MPs: 'I have received a reply to the very many questions that were raised by colleagues on all sides. 'I'm not satisfied with that, and I have gone back to the BBC leadership to ask for further information, in particular, as he mentioned, about the failure to pull the live feed, about the due diligence that was done prior to deciding to screen this act, and also about the level of senior oversight that took place in the BBC during the Glastonbury weekend. Just as artists can't hide behind artistic expression for vile commentary, neither can the BBC hide behind independence for accountability Stuart Andrew, shadow culture secretary 'I think the BBC leadership will hear and have heard the strength of feeling in this House about this, and I expect further answers to be forthcoming imminently.' The corporation removed the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone from its online iPlayer platform in February after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. In a follow-up question, Mr Andrew said: 'I'm as disappointed as she is that they haven't been able to come back with even basic facts. 'There were hundreds of BBC staff there and not being able to identify who ultimately had the final decision on whether to broadcast or not is not acceptable, and I think the chairman (Samir Shah) needs to inform her as a matter of urgency who that was and what action they are going to take. 'While I absolutely understand the independence of the BBC, just as artists can't hide behind artistic expression for vile commentary, neither can the BBC hide behind independence for accountability, and I hope she knows she has the full support of this side of the House as she pushes them for clarity.' Ms Nandy said she was 'grateful' that Mr Andrew had made 'the very important distinction between independence and accountability'. She continued: 'Given the seriousness of what happened – and particularly we heard in the House and I was able to bring to the House the absolute shocking stories of the impact that this has had on the Jewish community in this country – given the seriousness of this, I would expect there to be accountability at the highest levels.'
