BRUSSELS, (PIC)
The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed on Monday that he would suggest to members of the bloc that the EU pause its political dialogue with Israel, citing the country’s conduct of the war in Gaza.
“Many people tried to stop the war in Gaza… this has not happened yet. And I don’t see any hope for this to happen. That’s why we have to put pressure on the Israeli government and also, obviously, on the Hamas side,” Borrell told journalists ahead of an EU meeting.
This came in press statements on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels to discuss a proposal that Borrell had submitted to suspend political dialogue with Israel for its failure to respect international law in its war on the Strip for more than a year.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief last week proposed that the bloc suspend its political dialogue with Israel, citing possible human rights violations in the war in Gaza.
The political dialogue between the European Union and Israel is regulated by the partnership agreement between the two sides that entered into force in 2000, and its suspension does not mean the suspension of the partnership agreement between the two sides, according to EU diplomats.
He explained that “more than 44,000 people were killed in Gaza, 70% of whom were women and children.”
Borrell renewed his calls on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war on Gaza and Lebanon.
