The European Union’s relationship with Israel should be reviewed in light of the ongoing blockade stopping food and other humanitarian aid getting into Gaza, the Dutch government has said.
The move is likely to reignite debate about the EU’s response to the war in Gaza, more than a year after Ireland and Spain first called for the union’s trade agreement with Israel to be reviewed, in light of human rights abuses during Israel’s invasion of the enclave.
Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said the cutting off of aid and electricity by Israel was “exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation” in Gaza.
A decision by Israel to scale up military operations in the devastated Palestinian strip risks “an even further decline in humanitarian conditions”, he said in a letter on May 6th to Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top foreign affairs representative.
The correspondence, seen by The Irish Times, raised concerns with “statements by Israeli cabinet members about a permanent presence that alludes to a reoccupation of (parts of) the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon”.
Humanitarian organisations have warned Gaza is on the brink of food, fuel and medical supplies running out, as a result of Israel blocking the flow of aid into the territory since early March.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed during the bombardment and invasion of Gaza by Israel’s military, that followed the October 7th, 2023 attacks by Hamas militants in southern Israel.
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Previous efforts by the governments of Ireland and Spain to push the EU to review its “association agreement” that governs relations with Israel, gained little traction.
In his letter, Mr Veldkamp said he now supported a review of whether Israel had breached a clause in the agreement, known as Article 2, to respect human rights.
“I would like to request a review of Israel’s compliance with Article 2 at the earliest possible opportunity. Several colleagues expressed interest in this initiative and are currently considering their support for the request of a review,” he wrote.
“In my view, the humanitarian blockade is a violation of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law and thereby of Article 2 of the association agreement,” he said.
Mr Veldkamp said the Netherlands remained committed to supporting Israel’s security and repeated calls for Hamas to release remaining Israeli hostages.
EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Gaza during a two-day meeting in Poland starting on Wednesday. Austria, Germany, Hungary and Czechia are Israel’s biggest supporters inside the 27-state union and have opposed any review of the Israel association agreement. The Netherlands is a traditional ally of Israel and usually sits within a middle camp in the EU on the issue.
In a separate joint statement, the foreign ministers of six European states expressed “grave concern,” at reports Israel was planning to establish a long-term military presence in Gaza.
This would cross “yet another line” and jeopardise the future prospects of a two-state solution in the Middle East conflict, it said.
The statement was signed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris, and his counterparts in Spain, Slovenia and Luxembourg, as well as the foreign ministers of Iceland and Norway.
“We call on Israel to immediately lift the blockade. It is essential to facilitate relief for all civilians in need, without discrimination,” it said.
Any effort to force the permanent displacement of Gaza’s population from the territory “would be in violation of international law,” the six senior ministers said. “Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine, which belongs to the Palestinian people,” the statement said.
