The European Commission is suspending all payments to Israel over the country’s conduct in the Gaza Strip, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday.

“We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold. We will stop all payments in these areas without affecting our work with civil society or Yad Vashem,” Ms von der Leyen said in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

She also proposed sanctions on “extremist ministers and violent settlers”, adding that “man-made famine can never be a weapon of war”.

Calling the situation in Gaza “unacceptable”, Ms von der Leyen urged Europe to lead by example.

“For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity, this must stop,” Ms von der Leyen said.

She further proposed a partial suspension of the Association Agreement, which has governed EU-Israeli political and economic ties since 2000.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza was launched in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, which killed approximately 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken.

Since then, more than 64,500 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, according to the Hamas-run health authority, with widespread destruction across the territory.

(dpa/NAN)