The European Union announced Tuesday it would review its trade cooperation agreement with Israel, citing alleged human rights violations linked to Israel’s ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
According to the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, “a strong majority” of EU member states supported the review, following a meeting of foreign ministers.
“The countries see that the situation in Gaza is untenable… and what we want is to unblock the humanitarian aid,” Kallas said.
As noted by AFP, the announcement came amid renewed Israeli military operations across Gaza, where local officials reported dozens killed in fresh airstrikes. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defense, said Tuesday’s attacks left “44 dead, mostly children and women,” including casualties from a strike on a school in Gaza City and a petrol station near the Nuseirat refugee camp.
In London, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Israel’s actions—including the blocking of aid and the expansion of military operations—were “indefensible.” Speaking in parliament, Lammy added, “Blocking aid, expanding the war, dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners. This is indefensible and it must stop.”
The UK government responded by suspending free-trade negotiations with Israel, summoning the Israeli ambassador, and issuing sanctions against Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
In a message posted to X, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein rejected the EU’s move, saying, “We completely reject the direction taken in the statement, which reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing.”
In a separate comment responding to British actions, Marmorstein said, “External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security.”
The Israeli military said in a statement it had conducted strikes on more than “100 terror targets” in Gaza over the past 24 hours. It confirmed it had targeted a Hamas operative inside a command center located within a school compound, but did not comment on other incidents reported Tuesday.
Despite the resumed movement of some humanitarian aid—93 UN trucks were allowed to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing—UN officials described continued obstacles. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said one UN team “waited several hours for the Israeli green light” to collect nutrition supplies but was unable to deliver them.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the aid reaching Gaza remains “a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed.”
Talks between Israel and Hamas resumed this week in Doha but have stalled again. A source close to Hamas accused Israel of avoiding real negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel intends to “take control of all the territory of the Strip.”
The health ministry in Gaza said Tuesday that 3,427 people have been killed since Israel resumed operations on March 18, bringing the total death toll in the enclave to 53,573.