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\n Published on 29\/07\/2025 – 13:56 GMT+2
\n \u2022Updated
\n 16:36\n <\/p>\n
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A group of 40 cross-party MEPs are pressing on the European Union to suspend its trade deal with Israel and impose sanctions on the Netanyahu-led government, as an UN-backed body warns of signs of famine and widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement seen exclusively by Euronews, the lawmakers call on the EU to hold the Israeli government accountable for actions that \u201cblatantly breach the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement also urges Hamas to immediately release Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza after they were kidnapped from Israel during October 7 2023 attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cFuture generations will judge today\u2019s leaders on their response, or lack thereof, to the atrocities in Gaza. Failing to act now will be remembered as a moral stain on humanity,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cThe time for moral cowardice is over, and action must be swift.\u201d<\/p>\n
The coalition of MEPs explicitly call for sanctions on the Israeli government, a move the EU has so far avoided despite allies including the United Kingdom and Norway moving to sanction two Israeli ministers considered extremist, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Netherlands imposed travel bans<\/strong><\/a> on both ministers in response to the deepening crisis in Gaza.<\/p>\n The 40 signatories also press on the Commission to suspend the EU\u2019s Association Agreement with Israel, which defines the trading and political relations between both sides, and which has often been touted as the best tool at the EU’s disposal to pressure Israel into improving a spiralling humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n A previous review by the EU’s diplomatic arm found indications<\/strong><\/a> Israel had breached the human rights obligations enshrined in its Association Agreement with the bloc, but the process failed to trigger any concrete reprisals beyond a discussion between the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas and her Israeli counterpart, foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar.<\/p>\n Those talks resulted in an ‘agreement’ by Israel to scale up the humanitarian assistance reaching Gaza. But concerns about the humanitarian situation on-the-ground have mounted since.<\/p>\n