EU foreign policy chief calls for sanctions to pressure Israel to end war

BRUSSELS

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Tuesday called for sanctions on Israel to pressure the government to end its attacks in Gaza, warning that the humanitarian situation is worsening.

"Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza will make an already desperate situation even worse. It will mean more death, more destruction & more displacement," Kallas wrote on the US social media platform X.

She added that the European Commission will meet Wednesday to discuss potential measures, including suspending trade concessions and imposing sanctions on extremist ministers and violent settlers.

"Suspending trade concessions and imposing sanctions on extremist ministers and violent settlers would clearly signal that the EU demands an end to this war," she added.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she will propose a package of measures against Israel, by pausing bilateral support, partially suspending the Association Agreement and sanctioning extremist ministers.

The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, and experts have declared a famine there.