EU calls on Israel to fully implement Gaza aid deal

Shafaq News - Brussels

The European Union and Israel have reached an agreement to increase humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas announced on Friday.

Revealed during a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur, the agreement sets out a significant rise in daily truck shipments of food and essential supplies. It also includes reopening additional border crossings and reactivating overland aid routes through Jordan and Egypt.

These measures are expected to be put into effect in the coming days, accompanied by monitoring systems designed to ensure assistance does not reach Hamas.

The agreement comes after weeks of internal EU discussions about potential pressure tools should talks with Israel fail to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Diplomats in Brussels, cited by German news agency DPA, confirmed that Kallas had previously shared a list of proposed actions with member states.

Prepared following a June meeting of EU foreign ministers, the list detailed a range of options including suspending trade benefits, imposing an arms embargo, and blocking Israel’s participation in the EU’s Horizon research funding program.

Additionally, it proposed tighter entry conditions for Israeli nationals and sanctions targeting officials deemed responsible for Gaza’s humanitarian situation. The EU-Israel air transport agreement, which allows open market access for direct flights, was also identified as a potential leverage point.

Notably, these discussions were supported by an internal EU review that found Israeli military operations in Gaza breached human rights obligations outlined in the 2000 EU-Israel Association Agreement.