The European Commission has presented a much anticipated and delayed proposal to “suspend certain trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel” in response to the war on Gaza. The sanctions, however, do not currently have enough support among the EU’s 27 member countries to pass. The proposals include suggested sanctions on “extremist” Israeli ministers and violent settlers as well as Hamas. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, urged EU members to increase tariffs on some Israeli goods and impose sanctions on 10 Hamas leaders, Israeli settlers and two far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra has more from Brussels, Belgium.
