GENEVA
The EU's continued political and economic ties with Israel amid its military campaign in Gaza amount to "active complicity" in Tel Aviv's "genocide" in the besieged enclave, the Euro-Med Monitor said Wednesday.
"The EU's limited focus on sending food aid to Gaza amounts to a blatant betrayal of humanity and a failure to uphold its legal and moral responsibility to stop one of the gravest crimes of our time," Lima Bustami, the group's legal director, said in a statement.
According to Euro-Med Monitor, EU member states are breaching their obligations under the Genocide Convention, the Geneva Conventions, and other international treaties by failing to suspend trade, military cooperation, and the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
The rights group accused the EU of whitewashing Israel's actions through rhetoric about "improving humanitarian access," while refusing to impose concrete measures such as arms embargoes or sanctions. "Gaza is not facing a food crisis, but a deliberate project of starvation, uprooting, and eradication," Bustami said.
Despite multiple internal reviews that found Israel in violation of its contractual human rights obligations under Article 2 of the Association Agreement, no formal action has been taken by the EU Commission, Council, or Parliament, the group stressed.
Euro-Med Monitor urged EU institutions to immediately suspend all cooperation agreements with Israel, sanction officials responsible for war crimes, and support the International Criminal Court’s prosecution of those implicated in atrocities.
The EU must "move beyond expressions of 'concern' to take concrete, practical steps to end its complicity and dismantle the mechanisms enabling ongoing Israeli crimes," the group said, calling on member states to uphold universal jurisdiction and prioritize human rights over political expediency.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which governs political and economic ties between the two parties, includes a binding clause requiring respect for human rights and democratic principles. Failure to comply with this clause can lead to sanctions or suspension of the agreement.
EU foreign ministers met on Monday and Tuesday to discuss growing concerns over Israel's attacks in Gaza, amid mounting civilian casualties and international calls for accountability. However, member states were unable to reach a consensus, resulting in no formal decision to suspend the agreement or impose sanctions.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing over 58,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.