Borrell: "EU not considering sanctions against Israeli officials"

Brussels – There will be no hard line against Israel over how the Jewish state is handling its response to the Oct. 7 attacks in the Palestinian territories and no sanctions against the army or government officials in Tel Aviv. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, dismisses the idea of such actions. “The EU is not considering restrictive measures on Israeli officials,” he said, responding to a parliamentary question coming from the benches of the Left.

When asked for clarification on how the Commission intends to pressure Israel to respect human rights and International Court of Justice rulings, the response from Brussels is one of dialogue and persuasion. Borrell admitted that suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement is not on the table as this was the decision of EU Member States. “The Council agreed to continue following this question closely and to invite the Foreign Minister of Israel for a discussion” regarding the handling of Israel’s response, considered by the EU to be legitimate albeit disproportionate.

The worsening of the humanitarian situation continues not to be a reason for Europeans to take a hard line, just sending verbal reprimands. “The EU consistently underlines the importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians at all times in line with international humanitarian law. The EU has been consistently calling for extended humanitarian pauses,” Borrell stressed.

English version by the Translation Service of Withub