Amnesty International urges EU states to suspend trade with Israeli settlements

ISTANBUL

Amnesty International’s EU office urged member states on Wednesday to take stronger action against Israel, including suspending trade with illegal settlements and imposing an immediate arms embargo.

Amnesty EU urged governments to ensure that Germany and Italy do not block upcoming EU proposals.

It urged states to follow the example of Ireland, Slovenia, Belgium and Spain, which have taken steps to halt settlement-related trade.

“Member states must do everything to ensure Germany and Italy do not block the proposals. They should follow Ireland, Slovenia, Belgium and Spain and take individual measures, including suspension of trade with settlements, as required by the ICJ Advisory Opinion,” the rights group wrote in a series of posts on the US social media company, X.

Amnesty condemned Israel’s “relentless bombardment” in the Gaza Strip, including the destruction of high-rise buildings sheltering thousands of families.

It said the actions were “yet another illustration of Israel deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of an already devastated population.”

While acknowledging that EU-level proposals were “a start,” Amnesty insisted that Palestinians “need so much more.”

It reiterated its demands for an arms embargo on Israel, unhindered humanitarian access and an end to the blockade on Gaza, as well as a ban on settlement trade.

The rights group accused Israel of carrying out a “deliberate campaign of starvation” in Gaza by restricting the entry of food and essential aid supplies.

It said a mass displacement from Gaza City was compounding the suffering of civilians amid an “ongoing genocide.”

“For 23 months, protesters from across Europe (and the world) have denounced Israel’s serious and repeated violations of international law. Political tides in Europe may be turning – but Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues,” it added.