Overview
- EU’s diplomatic service found indications Israel may have violated Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement by restricting aid and causing high civilian casualties in Gaza.
- Foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss the leaked European External Action Service report on June 23 in Brussels.
- The EU could suspend the agreement’s trade pillar with a qualified majority to reinstate tariffs without scrapping the entire cooperation deal.
- Full suspension of the pact or an EU-wide arms embargo would require unanimity, and states like Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic are poised to block strong measures.
- Brussels is Israel’s top trading partner, with €42.6 billion in goods exchanged in 2024 and €25.6 billion in services in 2023, giving the bloc economic leverage.