Gaza War: EU Commission proposes far-reaching Israel sanctions

In response to developments in the Gaza Strip, the European Commission suggests imposing far-reaching sanctions against Israel to the EU countries. According to the will of the authority, under the direction of Ursula von der Leyen, free trade advantages should be deleted and punitive measures against extremist Israeli ministers and settlers were to be arranged.

The aim of the advance is to move Israel to change the course in his procedure in the Gaza Strip. From the Commission’s point of view, the country violates human rights and humanitarian international law with its military offensive and the resulting humanitarian disaster.

Commission President of the Leyen said: “The horrific things that take place every day in the Gaza Strip have to stop.” Immediate ceasefire, unhindered access for humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages captured by Hamas. EU Council President António Costa announced that Europe could not accept the Israeli government’s measures in Gaza and West Bank, “which go far beyond Israel’s legitimate law”.

The Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the recommendations “morally and politically distorted” and wrote that it was to be hoped that they will not be accepted. “With the help of his friends in Europe, Israel will continue to fight attempts to harm him while it is in the middle of an existential war,” he wrote to X. “Steps against Israel will be answered accordingly, and we hope that we will not be forced to take them.”

Qualified majority necessary for trading sanctions

According to the EU Commission, the deletion of free trade benefits for Israel would affect 37 percent of Israeli goods exports to the EU. Since the EU is the most important trading partner for Israel, this commission proposal in particular could put pressure on the Israeli government.

EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said that the punitive measures would lose imports from Israel their preferred access to the EU market. Customs tariffs would then be raised on the goods, as they apply to other countries with which the EU has no free trade agreement. One regrets that you have to take this step – but consider it appropriate and proportionate, said Sefcovic.

It is unclear whether the push from Brussels can really have an effect. It is conceivable that EU countries such as Germany and Italy quickly make it clear that they do not support Leyens’ advance. In the Member States’ Council, it would be necessary to accept 15 of the 27 EU countries, which together make up at least 65 percent of the EU’s total population. Without a yes from Rome or Berlin, this is currently not foreseeable, since some smaller countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria have so far been against sharp Israel sanctions.

The German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius initially kept covered with the topic on Wednesday. He said that the federal government has not yet formed a final opinion on the sanction plans.

Before the official presentation of Germany and Italy, EU foreign commissioner Kaja Kallas had appealed to support the plans for European trading sanctions against Israel or alternatively suggest other means of pressure. “If we agree that the situation is unsustainable and that we want to bring the Israeli government to change course, then we have to clarify: what can we do for it?” She said in an interview by the broadcaster Euronews. Anyone who does not support proposed measures in response to Israel’s approach in the Gaza Strip should please call alternatives. Kallas said to the planned trading sanctions that these would cause high costs for Israel.

According to EU numbers, Israel’s trade in the EU made up around 32 percent of the entire international Israeli trade in 2024. The entire trading volume with goods between the EU and Israel amounted to 42.6 billion euros in 2024. The EU imports from Israel had a value of 15.9 billion euros, the EU exports to Israel’s exports to Israel.

Finance and police minister in sight

The Israeli ministers who should be sanctioned according to the will of the EU Commission are Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich and Minister of Police IMAR Ben-Gvir. You will be accused of hatred of human rights and impact on hatred. In addition, the Commission also proposes new sanctions against the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. She had triggered the Gaza War by exercising a terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and killed around 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 more.

EU Commission stops payments

Israel had sharply criticized the commission’s sanction prompt before the presentation of details. Foreign Minister Saar wrote in a letter from the Leyen that it was “disproportionate” and “unprecedented” to want to expose certain trading advantages due to the Israeli procedure in the Gaza Strip. Such has never been implemented in the case of other countries, Saar criticized.

The EU Commission is relying on the Hamas information and playing the terrorist organization. The Gaza War was forced after the Hamas terrorist attack. One will not “be intimidated by threats” as long as the country’s security is endangered.

There had already been sharp criticism from Israel when the EU Commission suggested that in July to hire parts of the cooperation as part of the Horizon Europe research promotion program. Among other things, the Federal Government has so far prevented the measure and justifies this with the fact that it is not targeted enough.

So far, it is therefore certain that funds from an EU pot for international cooperation are frozen for Israel. This decision had already announced by the Leyen the previous week. The EU member states are not required for them.