EU Faces Backlash for Pausing Sanctions on Israel Amid Gaza War
The European Union is facing mounting criticism from former diplomats and human rights advocates after it decided to pause sanctions against Israel, a move that critics say undermines accountability for alleged war crimes in Gaza, according to Arab News.
According to The Guardian, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced the suspension following a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers on Monday. The decision halts efforts to suspend preferential trade ties with Israel and delay sanctions targeting Israeli officials accused of driving the Gaza war.
Kallas said the decision reflected shifting political dynamics since U.S. President Donald Trump launched a new Middle East peace initiative. “The situation is fragile,” she said, adding that while sanctions are “not off the table,” they would not proceed for now due to “divergent views” within the EU.
Human rights advocates condemned the move as a retreat from principle. Claudio Francavilla of Human Rights Watch said the pause sends a message that “European governments are still protecting Israeli authorities from accountability.” He added, “What has changed is only the scale of atrocity crimes in Gaza — the occupation, apartheid, and oppression continue unabated.”
Former senior EU officials also voiced frustration. Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, the bloc’s former envoy to the Palestinian territories, said Kallas had “missed the point of legal accountability,” arguing that sanctions are a core tool to uphold international law, not merely a political lever.
In June, the EU concluded that Israel had breached human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Legal experts have also warned that the bloc must align its policies with the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion calling for an end to the occupation.
Nathalie Tocci, a former adviser to two EU foreign policy chiefs, called the suspension “the worst possible outcome.” She warned, “This is precisely the moment when Europe should be keeping pressure on, not easing it.”
European leaders will revisit the issue at a summit this Thursday, where divisions between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel governments are expected to resurface.
