The European Commission has proposed far-reaching sanctions on Israel, including the suspension of certain trade preferences that covered roughly a third of Israeli goods exported to the EU.

This is in response to military operations in the Gaza Strip.

“We all agree that the situation in Gaza continues to head in the wrong direction. We must leverage the tools at our disposal to pressure the Israeli government into changing course,” said European Union chief diplomat Kaja Kallas on Wednesday.

An internal EU review had concluded that Israel’s actions in the embattled territory violate an EU-Israel agreement that obliges both sides to respect human rights.

“Suspending trade concessions and imposing sanctions on extremist ministers, violent settlers, and Hamas operatives would send a strong message from the EU. This war must end, the suffering must stop, and the hostages must be released,” she said.

It is however unclear if the proposal can find the required backing among the EU’s 27 member states.

Suspending trade benefits for Israel would need the approval by 15 countries representing at least 65 per cent of the EU’s total population.

(dpa/NAN)