The EU agrees on its first sanctions against violent Israeli settlers |

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is causing even the countries most reluctant to put pressure on Israel in the EU to begin to consider a tougher position against the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Proof of this is the approval that the Foreign Ministers gave this Monday in Brussels to the first package of sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank, an absolute taboo for some partners until just a few weeks ago. The decision is still far from the open criticism of the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, who has directly accused Israel of using hunger as a “weapon of war.” But it is a clear sign, diplomatic sources agree, that the positions are moving towards positions closer to that defended by Spain, Belgium or Ireland, which have been demanding a ceasefire in the region for some time.

“We have achieved a solid commitment” to sanction violent settlers, Borrell held at a press conference after the meeting in Brussels, in which voices have multiplied for Israel to allow more land entry of urgent humanitarian aid to a population which, according to the UN, faces an “imminent” famine.

According to diplomatic sources, those identified are six individuals, less than those already unilaterally sanctioned by countries like Spain and, also, around half of the list initially managed by the EU itself. But several sources highlight the change in positioning that this political agreement implies, which will still take at least a week to be finalized, approved and put into force. “It is a clear gesture,” stressed a European source. For the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, it is also a sign that more and more countries are approaching positions that Spain defended only together with a “small group not so long ago.”

The European sanctions are also harsher than the national ones, since in addition to prohibiting the entry into the territory of those identified, they imply the freezing of all property or assets that these people may have in European territory, Borrell recalled for his part. “It is good news, but it is going too slow for what the Palestinian population needs,” Albares lamented.

Ministers have also given their approval to new sanctions against Hamas. These are, according to sources, three individuals accused of sexual violence during the terrorist attack on October 7.

The decision is the most concrete of a long day of the ministers dedicated above all to Ukraine and the situation in a Middle East that is bordering on catastrophe. Borrell has directly accused Israel of using hunger as a “weapon of war”, which is turning the Strip, he has warned, into the “largest open tomb” in the world. “Yes, hunger is being used as a weapon of war. Let’s say it […] “Israel is causing famine,” declared Borrell, according to whom this situation has turned Gaza, which “previously was the largest open-air prison,” into the “largest open-air tomb” in the world. A grave “for tens of thousands of people and also for many of the most important principles of international humanitarian law,” he pointed out.

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, took little time to respond. “It is time for the EU foreign minister [sic]“Josep Borrell, stop attacking Israel and recognize our right to self-defense against the crimes of Hamas,” he published on X, the social network formerly called Twitter. Katz has stressed that his country “allows” the entry of “ample humanitarian aid by land, air and sea for anyone who is willing to help,” despite the fact that “Hamas violently interrupts aid convoys” since the Hamas agency UN for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, “collaborates with them,” reports Antonio Pita from Jerusalem.

The new meeting of those responsible for European diplomacy in Brussels takes place in the midst of a general hardening of the EU’s discourse, which calls for more land access for humanitarian aid in the face of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. An “unacceptable famine” is occurring there, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday in Egypt. The same day, from Jerusalem, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Netanyahu: “We cannot remain passive while the Palestinians risk dying of hunger.” “Persecuting Hamas is a legitimate goal of Israel. But no matter how important the end goal is, the means and the death of civilians cannot be justified.”

Borrell has taken up that argument in Brussels to urge the Twenty-Seven to do more. “In Gaza it is not that we are on the verge of famine, we are in a state of famine that affects thousands of people. Scholz told Netanyahu that ‘we cannot stand by and watch Palestinians starve.’ Ok, then, what are we going to do?” asked the head of European diplomacy, who also demanded that, later this week, at the summit of the leaders of the Twenty-seven, there also be a “review of the common position” on the Middle East, something that according to various sources is being seriously considered.

“Today there is a clear consensus that the situation is not acceptable and that the only solution is to put political pressure on Israel,” summarized the high community representative at the end of the ministers’ meeting.

In a joint statement, Borrell and the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, have also urged Israel to “allow free, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access to all people in need”, as well as to “cooperate with URNWA and other UN agencies and humanitarian actors involved in the humanitarian response.” Something that includes, they have warned, “issuing the necessary visas and other permits” for humanitarian personnel in a “timely” manner to guarantee “their safety and unhindered access to those in need” of this assistance. Although he has welcomed the initiatives to deliver more aid to Gaza by air or sea, Borrell has insisted once again, supported by many European ministers, that “the only alternative that can provide the necessary amount of aid is the opening of the borders.” terrestrial”. Everything else, Albares noted, will be “a drop in the ocean.”

Partnership agreement

From the beginning it was clear that there are countries, such as Germany or Austria, that are not yet willing to go that far, but after the meeting, Borrell and Albares explained separately that, although there is no agreement to call Israel to speak in within the framework of said association agreement, it has been proposed that Minister Katz could be invited again to a next Foreign Affairs Council.

Israeli blockade on aid

The discussions of those responsible for European diplomacy on the Middle East crisis and the extreme situation of the Gazan civilian population take place on the same day that the NGO Oxfam Intermón has published a report denouncing that Israel systematically blocks the entry of aid to Gaza. This, despite the order issued at the end of January by the Court of Justice to allow the surrender to remedy the catastrophic condition of the Gazans, reports Diego Stacey. According to the organization, Israel is not only not facilitating international aid efforts, “but is actively hindering them.” The document notes that Israeli authorities, among other things, control a poor inspection system that paralyzes the entry of aid and creates a bottleneck to hinder aid and trade.

The NGO’s data illustrate the seriousness of the situation in the Strip. Before October 7, an average of 500 trucks entered Gaza. In February, the average fell to 99, barely 20% of what it received before the start of the war. In addition, authorities “arbitrarily” reject aid items on the grounds that they can be used for dual military use, thus prohibiting the entry of fuel, pipes, flashlights or medical supplies, according to the Oxfam Intermón report. A large percentage of the discarded material ends up in a warehouse in Egypt, a few kilometers from Gaza. “Israel has created a breeding ground for humanitarian collapse and the only one that can fix it is Israel,” says the NGO’s regional director for the Middle East, Sally Abi Khalil.

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