STRASBOURG, France (AP) – In a significant shift, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday her intention to pursue sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza. This declaration marks a notable deviation from her previous stance as a long-time supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The European Union, consisting of 27 nations, exhibits a significant divide in its responses toward Israel and the Palestinians. The prospects of achieving a majority consensus on the proposed sanctions and trade measures remain uncertain.
During her address, von der Leyen revealed plans to establish a Palestine donor group next month, aimed at focusing on the future reconstruction of Gaza. She emphasized that the distressing situation in Gaza has deeply affected the world, stating that the suffering of children and families “has shaken the conscience of the world.”
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, there have been 126 Palestinian deaths associated with malnutrition since international experts declared a famine in Gaza City on August 22. Von der Leyen criticized the use of man-made famine as a weapon of war, stressing the immediate need to address the humanitarian crisis for the sake of children and humanity, which garnered applause within the European Parliament.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar took to social media to condemn von der Leyen’s announcement, suggesting that she had yielded to pressures that jeopardize Israel-EU relations. He further asserted that her actions would only encourage Hamas.
Von der Leyen's comments came on the heels of an Israeli military warning issued on Tuesday, which called on residents of Gaza City to evacuate ahead of Israel's plans to capture what it characterizes as Hamas’s last remaining stronghold amidst dire conditions of famine affecting hundreds of thousands. An estimated 1 million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza's total population, reside in northern Gaza around Gaza City, with many exhausted and moving multiple times without certainty that traveling south would provide safety.
The Israeli military's warning marks the first demand for a complete evacuation of Gaza City. This communication coincided with an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar amidst stagnant negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Gaza.
As part of her proposed measures, von der Leyen indicated plans to freeze the European Union's support to Israel, a move that does not necessitate approval from the 27 member states. The exact amount of financial support provided to Israel by the European Commission and its specific applications remain unclear. She confirmed, “We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold. We will stop all payments in these areas, without affecting our work with Israeli civil society or Yad Vashem,” the Holocaust memorial.
Additionally, the European Commission extends support to the Palestinian Authority. The conflict in Gaza, which erupted when Hamas-led militants kidnapped 251 individuals and killed approximately 1,200 others, predominantly Israeli civilians, nears its two-year mark. Currently, there are still 48 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, with about 20 expected to be alive.
As of now, Israeli retaliatory actions have resulted in over 64,000 Palestinian fatalities, as per statistics from Gaza's Health Ministry, which is under Hamas governance and does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry asserts that nearly half of the fatalities were women and children. Notably, the United Nations and various international organizations consider these figures as the most credible regarding war-related casualties.
Major urban areas within Gaza have been left in ruins, with around 90% of the 2 million Palestinians in the region displaced due to ongoing hostilities.
