"The European Commission, the European Union's main executive body, has presented a much anticipated and delayed proposal to suspend certain trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel in response to Israel's war on Gaza. The sanctions, however, do not currently have enough support among the EU's 27 member countries to pass. The proposals announced on Wednesday also included suggested sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers and violent settlers as well as on Hamas."
"Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, urged the member nations to increase tariffs on some Israeli goods and impose sanctions on 10 Hamas leaders, Israeli settlers, and two far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The commission also said it was pausing its bilateral support to Israel with the exception of support to civil society and Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center."
"The proposals follow a review of Israel's compliance with Article 2 of the Agreement, which found that actions taken by the Israeli government represent a breach of essential elements relating to respect for human rights and democratic principles. This entitles the EU to suspend the Agreement unilaterally, the commission said. Specifically, this breach refers to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza following the military intervention of Israel, the blockade of humanitarian aid,"
The European Commission presented a proposal to suspend certain trade-related provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in response to Israel's war on Gaza. The proposal recommends sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers, violent settlers and Hamas, and asks member states to increase tariffs on some Israeli goods and target ten Hamas leaders and specified Israeli individuals including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The commission paused most bilateral support to Israel while continuing assistance for civil society and Yad Vashem. A review found breaches of Article 2 relating to human rights and democratic principles, citing Gaza's worsening humanitarian situation, blockade of aid, intensified military operations and plans to advance the E1 settlement area that undermine the two-state solution.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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