The European Union has presented a proposal to suspend free trade with Israel and sanction two Israeli ministers.
AP News reported that the plan would put forward increased tariffs on some Israeli goods and imposes sanctions on 10 Hamas leaders, Israeli settlers, and two top members of Israel’s Cabinet.
In what is being called a historic shift in EU foreign policy, the sanctions would freeze any of the individuals’ European assets and ban travel within the EU.
The EU’s Foreign Policy chief, Kaja Kallas said the aim is not to punish Israel” but to alleviate the suffering in Gaza.”
The EU has been deadlocked on whether to sanction Israel over its ongoing war in Gaza, with Spain and Belgium unilaterally moving to impose tough measures.
Meanwhile, countries including Germany and Hungary have been more reluctant to target Israel.
The move comes a day after Israeli forces launched a ground offensive on Gaza City and a major UN investigation found Israel guilty of genocide.
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, accounting for 32% of Israel’s total trade in goods with the world in 2024, while Israel is the EU’s 31st largest trading partner.
