‘Shocking, disappointing’: EU refuses to sanction Israel over genocide in Gaza." (7/17/25.)
Diplomats told European media that EU ministers are ‘unwilling’ to tackle the issue and wish to wait on the outcome of a new Gaza aid agreement between Tel Aviv and the bloc
The EU has decided against imposing sanctions on Israel over its war crimes against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, which have continued unabated on a daily basis.
“The EU Council failed yesterday to take a decision on Israel´s violation of the Association Agreement´s Human Rights clause. But this is in itself a decision: Europe decides not to punish Israel's continued war crimes and allows the Gaza genocide to proceed unabated,” said former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on 16 July.
Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Affairs Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin described the lack of action as “shocking and disappointing.”
Amnesty International’s Secretary General said a day earlier that the EU failure to take action was a “cruel and unlawful betrayal” of the European vision and Palestinian human rights. “This will be remembered as one of the most disgraceful moments in the EU’s history.”
EU foreign ministers met on Tuesday to weigh potential options for action against Israel over the genocidal war in Gaza.
Proposed sanctions included suspension of the entire Association Agreement between Israel and the EU, curbing trade ties, imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers, imposing an arms embargo, and halting travel without visas.
However, diplomats told Euronews that the EU was divided on how to deal with the matter, with some who are “unwilling” to sanction Israel and wish to wait for the implementation of a deal reached recently between Tel Aviv and the bloc, aimed at expanding the flow of aid to Gaza.
“Member states are unlikely to choose to back any of the options for action,” the diplomats said.
After the meeting on Tuesday ended with no result, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed it as a “diplomatic victory.”
Last week, the EU struck a deal with Israel to bring more aid into Gaza. However, aid flow remains limited and nowhere near enough what is required, and distribution is almost exclusively happening through the US-Israeli Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – a deadly mechanism that has resulted in the killing of over 800 aid seekers in the strip.
Israel continued to relentlessly bombard the strip and commit massacres against Palestinians.
On Tuesday, Israel committed a massacre against a group of civilians in Al Shati' Camp, west of Gaza City. At least 10 were killed and 25 injured, among them multiple children.
When Israel launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots in May – an operation aimed at displacing the entirety of Gaza and securing wider military control of the strip – the EU announced that it would review its trade and cooperation agreement with Israel.