EU divided on suspected Israeli rights breaches
EU divided on suspected Israeli rights breaches
Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas says she will discuss with Israel a review that found indications of human rights breaches. Photo: Reuters
The European Union's top diplomat said on Monday she would take up concerns over suspected human rights breaches by Israel with its government, as talks in Brussels underscored divisions within the bloc over how to influence Israeli actions in Gaza.
Kaja Kallas said her priority was to improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave amid concern in European capitals over Israeli operations there.
The EU's diplomatic service said in a report on Friday that there were indications that Israel had breached its human rights obligations under the terms of a pact governing its ties with the bloc.
Israel's foreign ministry has rejected the EU report as a "moral and methodological failure".
"I will now address the results of the review with Israel," Kallas said at a news conference following a meeting of European foreign ministers.
"Our first goal is to change the situation on the ground and help humanitarian aid get in," Kallas said.
Kallas said she would revisit the issue in July if there had been no improvement.
The report includes a section dedicated to the situation in Gaza, covering issues related to the denial of humanitarian aid, attacks on hospitals and medical facilities, displacement, and a lack of accountability.
"It is not intended to punish Israel, but to trigger concrete improvements for the people and the lives of people in Gaza," Kallas said.
Under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which came into force in 2000, the EU and Israel agreed that their relationship "shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles".
EU nations were split over how to respond to the report. Spain called for the suspension of the agreement with Israel, while others opposed such a move.
"This is the time for action," Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, calling for an arms embargo and sanctions on individuals who undermine the possibility of a two-state solution.
Others, including Germany and Italy, expressed hope the report could help shift Israel's policies.
"I think this can be a chance to put further pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter," Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said. (Reuters)
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