ISTANBUL 

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Harris on Wednesday welcomed the European Commission's proposed trade measures against Israel, pointing to the "genocide taking place in Gaza."

"Today's publication by the European Commission of a proposal to suspend the core trade-related parts of the EU's Association Agreement with Israel is hugely significant. There is a genocide taking place in Gaza and the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry earlier this week make clear that this is the case," Harris said on US social media company X.

Describing the proposals as a "critical turning point," Harris expressed Ireland's "full support" to the package of proposals for trade measures against Israel along with sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers and violent settlers.

"The need for action has never been more urgent. In fact, it is long past due," he said.

Harris reaffirmed that he will urge all EU member states to support both proposals.

"In addition to the implementation of these measures, we need an urgent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, for humanitarian aid to flow and for a concerted effort to bring about a two-state solution," he added.

His statement came after EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas unveiled plans on Wednesday to downgrade trade ties with Israel and sanction top officials over findings of human rights abuses in Gaza, marking a major shift in the bloc’s approach to Tel Aviv.

Maros Sefcovic, European commissioner for trade and economic security, said the proposal targets key provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, including the free movement of goods, services, public procurement, competition, and intellectual property.

"In practice, this means that imports from Israel to the EU will lose the preferential access to the EU market, and that these goods will be charged duties at the level applied to any other third countries with whom the EU has no free trade agreement," he told a press conference in Brussels.

The commission also announced sanctions on Palestinian resistance group Hamas, extremist Cabinet ministers of the Israeli government, and violent settlers. The EU Council now needs to approve the decision unanimously.