Britain on Tuesday threatened further measures against Israel if it does not agree to end the war in Gaza, a day after 28 countries, mostly European, condemned Israel's restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid and the killing of hundreds of Palestinians trying to get food.
Despite increasingly harsh rhetoric, many doubt that Israel will give in to such pressure without serious punitive measures, especially if they are not supported by Germany and the United States, Israel's strongest Western allies, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Outrage over Israel's actions in Gaza is growing across Europe, as scenes of Palestinian suffering spark mass protests in London, Berlin, Brussels and other capitals. Recently, the almost daily killings of Palestinians trying to reach aid have tested the EU's friendly relations with Israel like never before.
However, Europe remains divided in its stance towards Israel, and the limited sanctions and condemnations so far have proven insufficiently effective.
The EU is reviewing its diplomatic and trade relations with Israel over its handling of the war in Gaza. The AP writes that an internal report recently found that there are indications that Israel has violated human rights obligations stemming from the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a legal framework that has governed political and trade cooperation for 25 years. Despite this, Brussels has not yet taken concrete steps to suspend the agreement.
The EU, as Israel's largest trading partner, has been criticized for lacking political courage and underestimating its influence on Israel.
"We see the pressure growing, but these are words, not actions," says Josi Mekelberg of London's Chatham House think tank.
Some countries, such as Britain, Canada and Australia, have imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers for their violence against Palestinians, including asset freezes and travel bans. However, these measures have so far yielded no concrete results.
In addition, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway sanctioned two Israeli far-right ministers for “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Britain said in May it would suspend free trade talks with Israel, also over the situation in the West Bank. Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Tuesday hinted at the possibility of tougher measures, saying he was "appalled" by the suffering in Gaza, but did not specify what measures might follow.
"We will continue to apply pressure. We will continue to act," Lemmy told British media, stressing the importance of coordinating with allies to achieve "maximum effect."
British government ministers are pressuring Prime Minister Keir Starmer to immediately recognize Palestine as an independent state, The Guardian reported yesterday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU's call for "the free, safe and rapid delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as full respect for international and humanitarian law," on the X network on Tuesday. "Civilians in Gaza have suffered too much and for too long," she said.
If Israel does not change course, possible measures include partial or complete suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which would require a unanimous decision by all 27 EU members.
According to a leaked document from the office of European foreign policy chief Kaja Kalas, seen by the AP and confirmed by two EU diplomats, other possible measures include suspending the aviation agreement, banning imports from Israeli settlements, limiting scientific and technological cooperation, and restricting travel for Israelis in the Schengen zone.
Kalas said on Tuesday that all options are on the table if Israel fails to fulfill its promises to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. "There is no justification for killing civilians trying to reach aid in Gaza," she wrote on X.
Individual countries could also act independently, sanctioning specific companies or individuals in Israel or the occupied West Bank, the AP adds.
The agency points out that Europe has not taken stronger action because it remains divided, and that it is highly unlikely that the entire EU will unanimously decide to drastically increase pressure on Israel.
Countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain have called on the EU to review relations with Israel, claiming it has violated human rights under an agreement with Brussels.
However, Germany and Hungary strongly support Israel, and they have been joined by Romania, which recently purchased Israeli air defense systems. Suspending the agreement would require unanimity from all members, which, according to the AP, is likely impossible to achieve.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has dismissed as "abhorrent" a joint statement by Western nations condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of "human dignity." He told Western allies they should instead put pressure on the "savages of Hamas."
Israel condemned the stance of these states, stating that Hamas is solely responsible for the extension of the war.
Nomi Bar-Yakov, an expert on Middle East diplomacy, said the EU must do more than express concern.
“Israel does not listen to words,” she said. “The current Israeli government does not respond to words. Unless a concrete mechanism is quickly established and implemented, those words will carry no weight.”
Merc under pressure to take a tougher stance
One notable exception in Europe is Germany, traditionally a staunch ally of Israel, with relations based on Holocaust remembrance. Germany categorically rejects the possibility of suspending the EU-Israel association agreement.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other officials have been gradually increasing their criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza in recent months. But they still appear to be trying to influence Israel by expressing their concerns directly. Germany did not sign a statement in which 28 countries, including Britain and France, condemned Israel's aid restrictions on Monday and called on it to immediately end the war.
Merz's chief of staff said the letter was not clear enough that Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, triggered the conflict, Reuters reported.
Signs of dissent emerged within the German government on Tuesday, when the head of the Social Democrats (SPD), a junior coalition partner, called on Berlin to join the British initiative, warning that "double standards are undermining our international credibility."
Merz, leader of the center-right CDU, said on Monday that he had spoken at length with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the previous week and "told him very clearly that we do not support the Israeli government's policy towards Gaza."
"The way the Israeli army is operating there is unacceptable," he said.
Merz said late Tuesday that the European Council had already adopted a declaration that was "practically identical to the content of what was expressed in the letter."
The council's June declaration expressed regret over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, but was not nearly as emotional or overtly critical of Israel, Reuters reports. It also did not condemn Israel's plan to relocate Palestinians to a so-called "humanitarian city," announced earlier this month.
“I was one of the first to say very clearly, even in Germany, that the situation there was no longer acceptable,” Merck said, denying the existence of any divisions within his coalition on the issue.
Merz is one of the few European leaders to publicly offer to host Netanyahu, without executing an arrest warrant for suspected war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Critics of Merz's approach, including those from the SPD, say that the legacy of the Holocaust cannot be an excuse for ignoring Israeli crimes, and that, on the contrary, the motto of "never again" that emerged after the Holocaust should apply to Gaza today.
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