EU review finds Israel violated trade agreement, but sanctions not expected
A major upcoming review of the EU-Israel trade agreement has found that Israel has violated the agreement due to its conduct in Gaza, Middle East Eye understands.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas commissioned the review last month in response to a request by the Dutch government.
Now MEE understands from diplomatic sources in Brussels that the review finds that Israel has violated the trade agreement's human rights and international law clauses. The EU is Israel's biggest trading partner.
Sources told MEE the review contains evidence that Israel has breached international humanitarian law during its war on Gaza.
They said that Kallas will present the review to EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Diplomats expect a "difficult" debate and believe there will be no agreement reached on whether to "suspend political dialogue" or impose sanctions on Israel.
Those issues will be addressed again at the 15 July meeting of EU foreign ministers, diplomats believe.
MEE also understands that Kallas has a mandate from EU foreign ministers to push for de-escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran - and that she is set to visit the Middle East next week.
MEE has contacted Kallas' team for comment.
Israel has gone 'beyond self-defence'
Foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany are reportedly scheduled to join Kallas on Friday in a meeting with the Iranian foreign minister to promote de-escalation.
EUObserver and RTE have also reported the review is expected to find Israel violated the trade agreement.
EU Commission and states indirectly fund Israeli military industry, report says Read More »
On Wednesday Kallas told members of the European parliament that Israel's "blocking food... goes beyond self-defence".
She said Israel was responsible for "disproportionate use of force" against civilians - and that "if it was up to me, personally", the EU would impose sanctions on Israel.
Last week it emerged that Israel's largest state-owned defence company, which is directly involved in the war on Gaza, has received millions of euros in EU defence funding.
According to a report published last Wednesday by Investigate Europe, the French newsroom Disclose and the Greek outlet Reporters United, Intracom Defense is currently involved in 15 European Defence Fund projects worth at least €15m (around $17.5m).
Seven of them were awarded after Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. The company was acquired by Israel Aerospace Industries in May 2023.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
31 minutes ago
- Gulf Today
Trump privately approved attack plans for Iran pending final order, WSJ reports
US President Donald Trump told senior aides late on Tuesday that he approved attack plans for Iran but has withheld a final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the deliberations. Israel struck a key Iranian nuclear site on Thursday and Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital, as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the US would join Israel in airstrikes seeking to destroy Tehran's nuclear facilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to press on with Israel's biggest ever attack on Iran until his arch enemy's nuclear programme is destroyed, said Tehran's "tyrants" would pay the "full price". His Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been instructed to intensify strikes on strategic-related targets in Tehran in order to eliminate the threat to Israel and destabilise the "Ayatollah regime". Netanyahu has said that Israel's military attacks could topple the regime in Iran, and Israel would do whatever is necessary to remove the "existential threat" posed by Tehran. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. The Israeli military said it targeted the Khondab nuclear reactor in Iran's central city Arak overnight, including a partially-built heavy-water research reactor. Heavy-water reactors produce plutonium, which, like enriched uranium, can be used to make the core of an atom bomb. Iranian media reported two projectiles hitting an area near the facility. There were no reports of radiation threats. Israel's military said it also struck a site in the area of Natanz, which it said contains components and specialised equipment used to advance nuclear weapons development. Iran has always denied planning to build an atomic weapon and says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Its Atomic Energy Organisation said Israel had attacked its nuclear sites "in renewed violation of international law" and that there were no casualties because the areas had been evacuated. On Thursday morning, several Iranian missiles struck populated areas in Israel, including a hospital in the southern part of the country, according to an Israeli military official. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it was targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near Soroka medical centre in the city of Beersheba in the south of the country. Soroka reported it had sustained damage. The week of Iranian missile salvoes mark the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict that a significant number of projectiles fired from Iran have penetrated defences, killing Israelis in their homes. Trails of missiles and interception efforts were visible in the skies over Tel Aviv, with explosions heard as incoming projectiles were intercepted. Israeli media also reported direct hits in central Israel. Emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attacks and dozens of others hurt in three separate locations. People were still trapped in a building in a south Tel Aviv neighbourhood, they added. Around a dozen mostly European and African embassies and diplomatic missions are located just a few hundred metres from the strike on Tel Aviv. Buildings were extensively damaged in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, a key commercial hub home to high-rise towers, and emergency workers helping residents, including children. The blast caused significant damage to nearby residential buildings and shattered windows across the area. "It's very scary," said Yaniv, 34, who lives just a few hundred meters away. He said he heard a deafening explosion when the missile hit, shaking his apartment tower. The worst-ever conflict between the two regional powers has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and further destabilize the Middle East. Oil prices surged after Israel said it attacked Iranian nuclear sites overnight, as investors grapple with fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East that could disrupt crude supplies. Agencies
Al Etihad
an hour ago
- Al Etihad
Trump will decide on Iran attack ‘in the next two weeks,' White House Says
20 June 2025 00:45 (The New York Times)US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide whether the United States will attack Iran "within the next two weeks,' adding in a statement released by the White House that "there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.'For days, Trump had mused publicly about the possibility of ordering US forces to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, suggesting that strikes could be imminent, while also insisting that it was not too late for talks. With his comments Thursday, he appeared to opt for some breathing room to consider options that carry a lower risk of Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, said Steve Witkoff, the president's special envoy to the Middle East, has maintained correspondence with Iranian officials. She declined to provide any further details. Iran pulled out of talks with US officials about a nuclear deal after Israel began its attacks last Friday. Leavitt said any nuclear deal with Iran would have to include a ban on enriching uranium and block Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Iran is tackling hostile targets in north Iran, says Iranian media
Iranian media says that the country's air defences are engaging with hostile targets in north Tehran, Reuters reported on Thursday.
