Divided EU weighs action against Israel over Gaza war
The bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has put forward 10 potential steps after Israel was found to have breached a cooperation deal between the two sides on human rights grounds.
The measures range from suspending the entire accord or curbing trade ties to sanctioning Israeli ministers, imposing an arms embargo and halting visa-free travel.
Despite growing anger over the devastation in Gaza, EU states remain divided over how to tackle Israel and diplomats say there appears to be no critical mass for any move.
'I can't predict how the discussion will go,' Kallas said, ahead of the foreign ministers' talks in Brussels.
She said the main focus would likely be on how the EU could leverage improvements to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
That comes after Kallas on Thursday announced a deal with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, to open more entry points and allow in more food.
Gaza's two million residents face dire humanitarian conditions as Israel has severely limited aid during its war with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
'We see some positive signs when it comes to border crossings open, we see some positive signs of them reconstructing the electricity lines, providing water, also more trucks of humanitarian aid coming in,' Kallas said Monday.
But she said the situation in Gaza remained 'catastrophic.'
'Of course, we need to see more in order to see real improvement for the people on the ground,' she said.
Saar, speaking at a meeting in Brussels on Monday, was confident Israel would avoid further EU action.
'I'm sure not any of them will be adopted by the EU member states,' said the foreign minister. 'There's no justification whatsoever.'
While the EU appears unable to take further moves against Israel, just getting to this stage has been a considerable step.
The bloc only agreed to review the cooperation deal after Israel relaunched military operations in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire in March.
Until then deep divisions between countries backing Israel and those more favorable to the Palestinians had hamstrung any move.
In a sign of that, Hungary looked likely to maintain a block on more sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank despite French minister Jean-Noel Barrot making a fresh plea for action.
The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Of 251 people taken hostage by Hamas, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 58,386 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign. The UN considers those figures reliable.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Great Expectations to Great Futures: British envoy Neil Crompton reflects on time in Riyadh
Among the many foreign diplomats I have seen come and go in Riyadh, few stand out quite like Neil Crompton, who is leaving the Kingdom after having completed a little over five years as His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Crompton is, in many ways, the quintessential British diplomat. That self-deprecating wit and sharp sense of humor are trademarks of Crompton's personality, which he tends to reveal only after loosening his proverbial necktie. Like many Britons I met during my near-decade in the UK, and describe in 'Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile' (an anthropological book I published last year about my observations of London), Crompton was hard to crack at first — reserved and diplomatic, as one would expect. But once the ice melted, I discovered a man of deep intellect, insight and genuine passion for the region. Crompton began his journey with the UK Foreign Office in 1995, ascending through key posts before heading the Middle East desk in 2015. His appointment as ambassador to the Kingdom came in early 2020 — a pivotal time, not just for Saudi Arabia, but for the world. Almost immediately after landing in Riyadh, Crompton — like the rest of the world — found himself in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I have a very vivid memory of how professional and reassuring the Saudi government response was,' he told me. 'The communication was very clear. You've got a good public health system.' He added: 'There was a very important decision by the government that everybody in the Kingdom would be treated the same regardless of nationality, which is very important. So we felt very reassured by that.' When the dust of COVID finally settled, Crompton began to see the transformation Vision 2030 promised, not just on paper but in reality. 'I remember going to Riyadh Boulevard for the first time. And there was a polar bear dancing on the wall to the sound of, 'I Like to Move, Move It,'' he laughed. 'It's just a nice atmosphere, families, grandpas, grandchildren, people out and about.' But of course, the transformation of Saudi Arabia is not limited to opening up and allowing once forbidden forms of entertainment. 'When I met lots of ministers, went to ministries, you could feel the change,' he said. 'You went into ministries and you saw everyone working hard. 'People talked about KPIs. I don't remember hearing the term KPIs 10 years ago. Maybe I was wrong, but everyone was very focused, friendly, and wanted to both advance the Saudi national agenda but work out how they could collaborate with us. 'So it was sort of a mix of social change and then sort of changing corporate ethos. Britons asked me about Vision 2030. I say Vision 2030 was a vision, but now it's a plan, and it's been executed and very successfully.' During Crompton's tenure, three British prime ministers visited the Kingdom — Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and, most recently, Keir Starmer. As ambassador, Crompton had numerous interactions with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But the relationship goes back further. 'The first time I met the crown prince was back in 2015,' Crompton said. 'He's very dynamic, he's on top of his brief. He's always very positive about the relationship with the UK. I think he sort of talks about it as being a strategic partner, but also says, 'you've been a historically reliable friend.' 'And so I think everyone always comes away fired up because he has so much energy and enthusiasm for what he's talking about.' The shared monarchical systems of both nations, according to Crompton, provide a foundation of mutual understanding and respect. 'I think there's a sort of natural affinity between monarchies. We're probably the minority in the world, but I think the royal families tend to know each other. And I think there's a sort of familiarity. 'When Her Majesty the Queen passed, I was very touched by the messages I got from Saudis all over the Kingdom, just saying how sorry they were to see her pass. 'And connections between individual members of the royal families still go on. I know there's constant messaging backwards and forwards, and that's very positive. 'His Majesty King Charles, he's a real expert on Saudi Arabia. I think he's made six official visits. I just met him on a couple of occasions. But each time he'd talk about things he did in the past. You remember he gave a famous speech on Islam and the West. So he's always very interested in interfaith dialogue. 'When Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa (secretary general of the Makkah-based Muslim World League) visited London, he saw him and he talked about the work that Saudi Arabia was doing in those areas. 'But also, in the few minutes I had with him, he asked: 'Tell me what's going on at AlUla, tell me what's going on at this.' So I think there's a sort of familiarity, and I hope to nurture that.' But while royalty might be well-versed in the Kingdom's transformation, are ordinary Britons keeping pace? 'I think it takes a long time to change perceptions. There's always a time lag,' Crompton said by way of admission. 'Initially, the sort of scale of ambition when we talked about Vision 2030, people said, 'really, can you do all that?' And some people said, well, even if they do 70 percent of that, it would be impressive. 'And actually, my experience … probably 90 percent (can) be done. Saudi GDP has grown by over 70 percent since 2016. New sectors coming along.' If there was one group that quickly closed that gap, however, it was the British business community. 'One of the highlights of my time here was the GREAT Futures trade event we did last year with the Saudi Ministry of Commerce,' said Crompton. 'And for that, 450 British companies came. 'But 60 percent came for the first time, a lot from the creative industries and educational sectors who hadn't been before. And I think they all came away and said, wow. And they met Saudis and established good contacts, and a lot of business and new relationships have flowed from that.' And the numbers speak volumes. 'Bilateral trade has gone up 70 percent since COVID,' Crompton told me. 'Last year, I believe it was $17 billion each way. And we have a commitment … to try and get bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2030. '$30 billion is a magic number. Which I personally think we'll exceed. And I think investment flows each way have increased significantly. And I think in the last five years, we've invested $23 billion in the UK. There's lots of Saudi private investment.' One of Crompton's proudest efforts has been pushing forward the UK-GCC free trade agreement. 'I think we're very close,' he said. 'The negotiations started under the Conservative government, and actually we got quite close, and then we had an election, which just slowed things a little bit. 'Free trade is important to the health of the world economy. I think it's a political signal between the Gulf countries and the UK, a political commitment to growing the relationship. 'This would be one of our first free trade agreements with a developing group of economies. And in the GCC's case it would be the first time you signed a free trade agreement with a G7 country. So I think that would be very important. 'But more importantly, it will reduce tariffs in a number of areas, reduce some of the barriers, or some of the regulatory or bureaucratic obstacles to growing the relationship, and it provides a platform for growing trade.' He added: 'I think it's 90 percent done. Both sides agree that there's a set of issues now that can only be resolved by ministers, because they involve political decisions and if you like, a natural bargain.' Though the GREAT Futures Initiative Conference took place under a Conservative government, Crompton is confident the strong Saudi-UK relationship will continue under Labour. 'They wanted to convey the message that the UK saw the Gulf as natural friends and important economic partners, and they wanted to maintain that relationship,' he said of the Labour government. On the tourism front, Crompton highlighted the success of Saudi Arabia's introduction of online visas — and he is glad that the UK managed to reciprocate shortly after. 'The scheme went live in June 2022. Initially, you could only get a single entry visa, but now you can get a two-year visa. And our figures say close to 750,000 Saudis have applied for and used that scheme … I think we're the only Western country that offers an online visa service.' He added: 'And more Britons than ever are coming here. (For) the pilgrimage, but (also) for business or for events. I think we're the second highest number of visitors after the Chinese. There are many more Chinese people than Britons. 'It's important to have a good government-to-government relationship with the people-to-people links that make friends.' It is not just tourists heading to Saudi Arabia. Investments — and soft power — are also flowing in both directions. 'There are important Saudi investments in northeast England,' Crompton said, with the flagship being the Public Investment Fund's acquisition of Newcastle United. 'I have friends in the northeast who say the first thing they did was professionalize the women's football team in Newcastle.' He added: 'I think people in the northeast say, well, this is really good. We want to do more with Saudi Arabia.' One moment that truly embodied Saudi soft power for him? When the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir performed at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2024. 'I never forget they did Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep.'' he said. 'They started (with) the men singing the Saudi traditional Saudi song. And then I remember when the lady came in and started singing, there were hairs standing up on the back of your neck. It was really impressive.' The interview also touched on Saudi-UK defense cooperation, ongoing discussions about potential Saudi involvement in the Typhoon jet program, and the Kingdom's emerging role in international mediation efforts. Clips from these parts of the conversation are available on Arab News online. As a parting gesture, I presented Crompton with a custom-made trophy resembling the front page of Arab News from 50 years ago — a small tribute to his time in the Kingdom. True to form, he responded with classic British humor, presenting me with two ketchup sachets — a reference to a story from 'Anecdotes of an Arab Anglophile' where I complained to the CEO of a major American fast food chain about not getting enough ketchup, which ultimately led to a change in company policy in the UK. In the book, I lamented — only somewhat jokingly — how I never received any recognition from the British government for my efforts to improve UK customer service. I should be careful what I wish for, as Crompton clearly saw fit to remedy that. I had to laugh. As Neil Crompton leaves the Kingdom, he does so with several feathers in his cap — but perhaps most importantly — with genuine affection for a country that is changing faster than most could have imagined.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Syria army begins withdrawal from Sweida: Defense ministry
Syrian soldiers began withdrawing from Druze-majority Sweida on Wednesday, the defense ministry said, hours after the announcement of a new ceasefire agreement in the violence-hit city. The Syrian army 'has begun withdrawing from the city of Sweida in implementation of the terms of the adopted agreement after the end of the sweep of the city for outlaw groups,' a defense ministry statement said, without mentioning the withdrawal of any other government security forces deployed to the city. Meanwhile, in an interview with Al Arabiya, Syrian Druze religious leader Yousef Jarbou voiced opposition to calls for foreign protection, saying 'we will not lose hope in the Syrian state.'
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Riyadh deputy governor receives Mexico's ambassador
Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, the deputy governor of Riyadh, received Anibal Gomez Toledo, Mexico's ambassador to the Kingdom, in Riyadh on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The ambassador visited to say farewell on completion of his tenure in the Kingdom. Prince Mohammed praised the ambassador's efforts in strengthening and advancing relations between the two countries and wished him success.
