European countries review relationship with Tel Aviv due to ‘catastrophic’ situation in Gaza

The United Kingdom has suspended its trade engagements with Israel and imposed sanctions on settlers over Tel Aviv’s “extremism” in Gaza while the European Union, in a similar move, said it would also review relations.

The latest developments came just a day after the UK, along with France and Canada, issued a stern warning to Israel over its military aggression in Gaza. The EU also said it would review its political and economic ties with Israel due to the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced on May 20 that the UK has suspended negotiations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on a new free trade agreement. He said that it “is not possible to advance these discussions with a government that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza”.

“Yesterday, minister Smotrich even spoke of Israeli forces ‘cleansing’ Gaza, ‘destroying what’s left’, of resident Palestinians ‘being relocated to third countries’. We must call this what it is. It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous,” Lammy told the Parliament, referring to Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said after a meeting in Brussels that the aid that Israel has allowed in is, “of course, welcomed, but it is a drop in the ocean”.

“Aid must flow immediately without obstruction and at scale because this is what is needed … Pressure is necessary to change the situation.

“It is clear from today’s discussion that there is a strong majority in favor of the review of Article 2 of our Association Agreement with Israel. So, we will launch this exercise,” Kallas added.

Article 2 of the European Union-Israel trade agreement states that relations between the parties, “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles”.

In a post on X, the Israel Foreign Ministry said it completely rejects the direction taken in the EU statement, which “reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing” and blames Palestinian militant group Hamas for the continuation of Israel’s military operations.

It also lamented that both the US initiative to transfer aid without it reaching Hamas, and the recent Israeli decision to facilitate the entry of aid into Gaza had been “ignored”.

“We call on the EU to exert pressure where it belongs — on Hamas,” the post said.

The Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza, issued a statement on May 20, welcoming the statement from the leaders of the UK, France and Canada.

The Committee said it shared the opposition expressed by the three leaders to military operations and the continued assault against the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza.

Furthermore, the Committee expressed its concern over Israel’s intention to allow “limited aid flow” to the Gaza Strip and its endorsement of a new aid delivery model, “which runs counter to humanitarian principles and international law”, and is designed to reinforce control over life-saving and sustaining items “as part of a military strategy”.

“Humanitarian aid must never be politicized or militarized, and the Committee rejects and condemns Israel’s plans to forcibly displace the Palestinian people and annex Palestinian land”, said the statement.

The United Nations has also warned that about 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in two days if more aid does not enter the Palestinian enclave.

Louise Wateridge, spokesperson of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said that the agency has enough food in one of its warehouses in Jordan to feed “200,000 people alone for an entire month” but said life-saving aid “remains out of reach while conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate”.

Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories said in a post on X that after security inspection, 93 UN trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including flour for bakeries, food for babies, medical equipment, and pharmaceutical drugs were transferred on May 20 via the Kerem Shalom Crossing into the Gaza Strip.

Contact the writer at jan@chinadailyapac.com