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Date Published: 21/05/2025

EU to review trade deals with Israel after more than 53,000 killed in Gaza

Calls for sanctions on Israel are reaching fever pitch amid Israel’s total occupation of Gaza mounting civilian deaths

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has entered its most devastating phase yet, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms his intention to enforce total control over the Strip, and the European Union is finally starting to sit up and take it as seriously as it should.

Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a large-scale ground assault involving five Israeli army divisions, is now fully underway. Humanitarian organisations and world leaders warn of a man-made catastrophe, with more than 53,000 Palestinians – including at least 16,000 children – already killed in the conflict.

This latest escalation has sparked international outrage, particularly in Europe. Several countries, led by Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands, are now calling for sanctions and formal action against Israel, accusing it of perpetrating what amounts to ethnic cleansing. Some observers are even using the term ‘genocide’.

Netanyahu’s announcement of a complete takeover of Gaza comes amid an ongoing humanitarian siege. Since early March 2025, Israeli forces have blocked the entry of essential supplies such as food, water, fuel and medicine, leaving Gaza’s population of over two million in a state of near-famine.

Though a small number of aid trucks have been allowed in, critics argue this is a calculated move to deflect international criticism, particularly from Israel’s key allies in Washington, London, Paris and Ottawa.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the current campaign in Gaza as “very close to a war crime” in a BBC interview. Amnesty International has gone further, condemning Israel’s actions as part of an unfolding genocide.

“It is outrageous and morally reprehensible that it took the world nearly 80 days of broadcast starvation and cruelty amidst genocide to exert enough pressure on Israel to even slightly ease its total siege,” the organisation said.

“In a video on Telegram Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted the decision to allow ‘basic’ food into Gaza 77 days after imposing a full siege on the occupied Gaza Strip was in part because Israel’s allies could not tolerate ‘images of mass starvation’.”

The UN has warned that without urgent intervention, 14,000 children in Gaza could die within 48 hours due to a lack of nutrition and basic medical supplies.

EU breaks silence after months of inaction

The European Union is finally reacting to the humanitarian disaster, and has agreed to initiate a review of its trade Association Agreement with Israel, invoking Article 2: the clause that requires respect for human rights and democratic principles.

The decision to review the trade agreement comes no sooner than 15 months after calls from Ireland and Spain for the European Commission to do exactly that. The review, supported by 17 EU member states, may lead to partial sanctions or suspension of the agreement.

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares was unequivocal: “The time for declarations is over. What is happening in Gaza is too serious. We have a military operation that makes no sense at all, unless you want to turn Gaza into a huge cemetery.”

Along with Ireland, Poland and a handful of other EU countries, Spain has been an outspoken and vocal critic of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 Hamas attack of 2023.

Although a full suspension of the agreement would require unanimity among EU member states (unlikely given the historical reluctance of countries like Germany), the move to freeze certain components is now a realistic next step. Sweden, during the same meeting, openly called for targeted sanctions on Israeli government officials, a measure previously proposed by Josep Borrell but never implemented.

Meanwhile, in Spain itself, organisers of major music festivals such as Viña Rock and Sónar have publicly condemned “the massacre of the Palestinian people” and distanced themselves from the pro-Israeli investment fund KKR. Several artists have pulled out in protest, triggering a broader backlash.

Earlier this week, Spain’s dismal showing in Eurovision 2025 was eclipsed by a fresh political dispute when the Spanish public gave their top televote score to Israel’s entry. The vote sparked controversy, given ongoing diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Tel Aviv.

Israel’s Minister Amichai Chikli seized the opportunity to criticise Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, while Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE has called for a review of how geopolitical issues influence the contest and Sánchez himself warned against the international community’s double standards on excluding Russia over their invasion of Ukraine but not condemning Israel harshly enough.

Even in the United States, Israel’s closest ally, support is showing cracks. Public pressure is mounting as scenes of widespread civilian suffering dominate global headlines. Canada, France and the UK have all also begun to express alarm over what appears to be a campaign of ethnic displacement, with no clear plan for Gaza’s population, now forced into smaller and increasingly uninhabitable pockets of territory.

Israel’s intensification of its military campaign in Gaza and its declared aim of total occupation have pushed it closer to international isolation than at any point in recent history. Netanyahu’s refusal to alter course in the face of mounting civilian casualties, famine and global condemnation is fuelling accusations of war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

The question is how long it will take for decisive, meaningful action to emerge from the European and international community, because for Gaza’s civilian population the consequences of delayed action are already catastrophic.

Image 1: Amnesty International

Image 2: UNHRHC

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