Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Days before European Union foreign ministers were to decide the fate of the Association Agreement with Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government presented an offer to the Europeans, after which both sides confirmed a deal to increase the flow of aid to Gaza "in the coming days," EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas said in a statement.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirmed with his German and Austrian counterparts in Vienna a commitment to "more trucks, more crossings, and more roads for humanitarian efforts." "Too little, too late?" the offer could help Israelis blunt calls for the EU to change the Association Agreement, calls that have caused widespread panic among Israelis after a review indicated that the country violates its human rights clause. Next Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs Council will consider a list of options for how to respond, according to a document from the EU's External Action Service seen by Politico. The document indicates that a "full suspension" of the Association Agreement is not significantly different from a "partial suspension" that would cut off dialogue between Brussels and the Netanyahu government. Both would require unanimous agreement from the EU27—a difficult feat to achieve. Suspending the trade component of the deal, which could make it difficult for Israeli products to enter the EU market, requires only a qualified majority. European capitals could individually take measures, such as banning products from the occupied West Bank, if the EU27 does not unanimously agree, former diplomats wrote in an open letter. The European Council “must send a clear message to the Israeli government that the EU will take effective action,” wrote former EU ambassadors with experience in the wider region. They noted that Europe is hesitant about options or floating measures that could be adopted without consensus, such as reducing trade preferences or expelling Israel from the Horizon research program. The former EU diplomats warned that the lack of capacity to take action would impact the EU’s “already damaged reputation in the region.” The Israeli government has previously described Brussels’ decision to reconsider the Association Agreement as “outrageous and inappropriate,” accusing EU officials of relying on biased evidence and failing to give it a fair opportunity to respond. This comes after a European statement issued in Brussels, which stated, "Following decisions by the Israeli cabinet and constructive dialogue between the EU and Israel, Israel has agreed on important steps to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
These measures are being implemented or will be implemented in the coming days, with the shared understanding that large-scale aid must be delivered directly to the population and that measures will continue to ensure that no aid is diverted to Hamas.
These steps include, among other things, a significant increase in the daily number of trucks carrying food and non-food items into Gaza, the opening of several additional crossing points in both the northern and southern areas; the reopening of Jordanian and Egyptian aid routes; enabling the distribution of food supplies through bakeries and public kitchens throughout the Gaza Strip; the resumption of fuel deliveries for use by humanitarian facilities, up to the operational level; the protection of aid workers; and the repair and facilitation of work on critical infrastructure, such as the resumption of power supplies at the desalination facility.
The EU stands ready to coordinate with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, UN agencies, and NGOs on the ground, to ensure the swift implementation of these urgent steps.
The EU once again calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and supports Egypt's ongoing efforts. Qatar and the United States of America as mediators.