By Sama Marwan ,
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Foreign Ministers of the European Union are set to meet next Monday to discuss a new report prepared by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The report indirectly recommends considering sanctions on Israel over its conduct in the war on Gaza and its ongoing policies in the West Bank.
While the report raises the possibility of imposing sanctions, concrete discussions on the matter are not expected this week, due to strong opposition from Israel’s allies within the EU, particularly Germany and the Czech Republic.
These two countries are expected to intervene to keep the matter within general consultations, preventing it from evolving into tangible political proposals.
As a result, any decision regarding potential punitive measures against Israel has been postponed until at least next month.
Efforts by countries such as Belgium, Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia—which favor a tougher stance on Israel—have clashed with the firm opposition of Germany and the Czech Republic.
The report—commissioned by 17 EU member states and later joined by two more countries—details alleged violations of international law, which may constitute a breach of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the framework that governs bilateral relations.
It highlights Israel’s alleged responsibility for the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, including:
Using starvation as a weapon
Indiscriminate bombing
Non-compliance with International Court of Justice rulings
Violence by settlers
Expansion of settlements in the West Bank
Despite the gravity of its findings, some EU diplomats criticized the report for being distributed late (on Friday) to European capitals, limiting the time available for proper preparation ahead of Monday’s meeting. Additionally, the report was accompanied by confidentiality requests.
Human rights organizations that obtained copies of the document criticized its “cautious language”, attributing it to the political sensitivity of the issue and balancing efforts by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Due to the absence of an independent EU presence on the ground in Gaza, the report relies heavily on sources from the UN and NGOs, similar to a previous report from late 2024, which was prepared under the supervision of Josep Borrell, the former EU foreign affairs chief.
The next expected step is the drafting of a non-binding list of potential measures, which Kaja Kallas could use during talks with Israeli officials. However, even formulating such a list is expected to be difficult, as several countries involved in the report’s preparation have simultaneously opposed actual sanctions.
Consequently, EU officials say the chances of securing a qualified majority to proceed with enforceable actions remain slim for now.
