EU foreign ministers are set to debate whether Israel’s blockade of Gaza violates the human rights clause in their Association Agreement.
The EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss suspending the association agreement with Israel, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday.
“The Dutch foreign minister has put forward a proposal to do the review of Article 2 of our association agreement with Israel and we will discuss this,” Kallas told reporters at the doorstep of the council meeting in Brussels.
HR/VP @kajakallas doorstep ahead of todays Foreign Affairs Council (#FAC) in Brussels. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bwX7C5x4Y7
— European External Action Service – EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) May 20, 2025
Kallas said she “can’t predict the outcome of this discussion” but “what is important and where we all have similar views, is that the humanitarian aid should reach Gaza as soon as possible.”
“Of course, Israel’s decision to let some of the aid in is a drop in the ocean. It’s welcomed, but it’s not enough,” she stressed.
‘Extremely Grave’ Situation
Kallas pointed out that there “are thousands of trucks behind the borders waiting.”
“It is European money that has funded this humanitarian aid, and it has to reach the people because the situation is extremely grave,” the EU official emphasized.
Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for UNRWA, says the humanitarian situation in Gaza “is absurd, it’s appalling, and to be quite frank, it’s unforgivable.”
“All of the supplies around me are literally three hours from the Gaza Strip. They could be there this afternoon,” she added,… pic.twitter.com/11Ox6hlick
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 20, 2025
Since March 2, Israel has shut Gaza’s border crossings, preventing all humanitarian aid, including water, food, and medical supplies, into the enclave, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Under pressure from the US administration and European allies, the Israeli security cabinet decided late on Sunday to allow some aid into the enclave.
France’s Support
Earlier, the French foreign minister expressed his support for reexamining the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel, the Anadolu news agency reported.
“I call on the European Commission to carry out this review, to process this request, and to determine whether or not Israel respects this article and its obligations regarding human rights,” Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Tuesday, referring to the proposal by the Netherlands.
‘’The blocking of humanitarian aid by the Israeli government has turned Gaza into a place of death, if not a cemetery’’
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot criticised Israel’s limited easing of humanitarian aid access to Gaza, describing it as “totally insufficient” during… pic.twitter.com/JoqtN8JJCp
— TRT World (@trtworld) May 20, 2025
Barrot noted that the proposal particularly aims to revise Article 2 of the agreement, which states that both parties must respect human rights, underlining that there might a possible “suspension” of the agreement if a violation is detected.
“It (agreement) has a political dimension but also a commercial one. If I may say so, neither Israel nor the European Union has an interest in ending this agreement. However, the images coming back from Gaza — the situation of civilians, women, and children — compel us today to take a further step,” he said.
‘Completely Insufficient’ Aid
Barrot also reiterated that France is “determined” to recognize the State of Palestine, reaffirming that it wants to contribute to a “political solution.”
“It is unbearable because blind violence and the Israeli government’s blockade of humanitarian aid have turned Gaza into a place of dying, not to say a cemetery,” he said when asked about the recent Israeli strikes on Gaza.
Western Nations Threaten ‘Concrete Action’ against Israel over Gaza Siege
Pointing out to the fact that the Israeli army had been blocking the humanitarian access for three months, Barrot deemed its decision to reopen doors “completely insufficient.”
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people of Gaza. Aid must be immediate, it must be massive, and it must be unconditional. All of this must stop,” he added.
Trump’s Relocation Plans
When asked about reported plans of US President Donald Trump to relocate up to 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya, Barrot reaffirmed that they would oppose “any population displacement.”
“It goes against the fundamental principles we built after the ruins of the Second World War, principles which, even if they did not prevent all wars, have allowed the world to enjoy eight decades of relative stability,” he reportedly said.
“Those who, through this kind of proposal, want to push us into a more unstable and dangerous world — one where wars and conflicts multiply, and where civilians are targeted — are leading us down a perilous path,” Barrot added.
Trump Casts Doubt on Netanyahu as Hamas-Israel Talks Resume in Doha
He said that they cannot wait for Israel to take the first step and neither everything to come from the US regarding the end of the war.
“That is why we are working toward the recognition of the State of Palestine, a decision we hope will prompt all regional actors to move toward the creation of a viable Palestinian state. Because more important than recognition is the actual existence of a Palestinian state,” Barrot added.
Rising Death Toll
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 52,000, wounding more than 118,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
A grieving Palestinian father collapses while bidding a final farewell to his wife and children, killed in an Israeli airstrike on Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. pic.twitter.com/esewcjCpnn
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 20, 2025
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(PC, Anadolu)
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