Claims of Potential Rights Violations Further Strain E.U.-Israeli Ties

New York Times

4 hours ago

Relations between Israel and the European Union have become even more fraught after the bloc found that Israel's actions in Gaza, including the blockade of aid to the enclave, may have violated human rights obligations.
A review by the European Union's diplomatic service investigated whether Israel had violated a provision in a treaty that came into force in 2000 and underpins relations between the two sides. Critics of Israel have called for the bloc to suspend the treaty, accusing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of violating the rights of Palestinians en masse. Israel has rejected the accusations.
The review referred to a number of issues that could have constituted a breach of Israel's obligations. Those included Israeli restrictions of essential goods and food into Gaza, attacks that the report said had caused a 'significant number of casualties,' and military strikes on hospitals and medical facilities.
Under the terms of the treaty, the European Union and Israel agreed that their relationship 'would be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.'
European Union member states are sharply divided on Israel, meaning that a major shift in policy may be hard to pass. But the report's conclusions underscored growing frustrations, including among some of Israel's closest allies, over the handling of the war in Gaza.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, was expected to present the findings of the review to a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday. The conclusions from the review were circulated among member states on Friday.
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