EU cites ‘indications' Israel is breaching human rights obligations over conduct in Gaza

The EU has said 'there are indications' that Israel is in breach of human rights obligations over its conduct in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for immediate sanctions.
'There are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement,' states a leaked document from the EU's foreign policy service, seen by the Guardian.
Couched in the typically cautious language of Brussels, the document nevertheless represents a significant moment in Europe's relations towards a longstanding ally.
The closely guarded paper, which will be presented by the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, to European foreign ministers on Monday, cites assessments by the international court of justice, the office of the high commissioner for human rights, and numerous other UN bodies, while saying that it does not represent 'a value judgment' by any EU official.
The finding has been seen as a foregone conclusion since a review of the EU-Israel agreement was put on the agenda last month by 17 EU member states, led by the Netherlands, a traditional ally of Israel.
EU officials were tasked to see whether Israel's internal and international relations were based on 'respect for human rights and democratic principles' against the backdrop of near-daily fatal shootings of Palestinian civilians seeking food. The review was triggered by Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, amid widespread horror over the ongoing bombardment that has laid the territory waste and killed more than 55,600 people – mostly civilians – since 7 October 2023, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The EU discussion is complicated by Israel's airstrikes on Iran, which may restrain some governments from putting pressure on Israel. Soon after Israel began waging war against Iran, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, 'reiterated Israel's right to defend itself'. She has previously faced criticism for not speaking up over the humanitarian consequences for Palestinians of Israel's onslaught.
The EU-Israel association agreement, signed in 1995, underpins a trade relationship worth €68bn (£58bn) between 27 European countries and the Middle Eastern country. The EU is Israel's largest market and accounts for about one-third of its trade. Israel is also a member of the EU's Horizon research funding programme, and has secured grants worth €831m since the current programme began in 2021.
The document emerged after more than 100 campaign groups urged the commission this week to suspend the association agreement. 'A weak or inconclusive review of Israel's compliance with article 2, and/or failure by the commission and council to suspend at least part of the association agreement, would ultimately destroy what's left of the EU's credibility [and] further embolden Israel authorities to continue their atrocity crimes,' reads the statement, signed by 113 civil society groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Eve Geddie, the head of Amnesty International's EU office, said the decision to launch a review had come 'tragically, devastatingly late' and that while it was important, as time passed Israeli forces had become 'more and more emboldened'.
Separately, eight EU member states have written to Kallas urging her to look into discontinuing trade of goods and services from the occupied Palestinian territory. The letter, organised by Belgium, states the EU is obliged to respond to an opinion from the international court of justice last July ordering Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories as soon as possible. In a landmark – albeit non-binding –ruling, the court said other states were under an obligation not to recognise the occupation as lawful.
'We have not seen a proposal on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements,' states the letter, calling for the EU to set out a timeline for reaching 'full compliance' with the advisory opinion around its first anniversary.
EU policy on Israel has been hobbled by difficulties finding unanimity among 27 member states with starkly different views, from countries that have recognised Palestine, including Spain and Ireland, to staunch allies of the Israeli president, Benjamin Netanyahu, such as Hungary and the Czech Republic.
The tide turned last month when the Netherlands, a strong ally of Israel, launched a call to review the EU-Israel association agreement, following the largest protests on Dutch streets over a foreign policy question in decades. The Dutch foreign minister, Casper Veldkamp, a former ambassador to Israel, argued that Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was a breach of international law and therefore the association agreement. An unexpectedly large number of countries agreed, although the question was not put to a vote.
The EU is far from united over what to do next. A full suspension of the agreement, which requires unanimity, is seen as impossible, given the certainty of a veto from Hungary, the Czech Republic or Germany. The EU only needs a weighted majority to suspend favourable trade terms or Israel's participation in Horizon, but even those outcomes are highly uncertain.
Hildegard Bentele, a German centre-right MEP who chairs the European parliament's Israel delegation, criticised moves to question the agreement. 'This will not have any influence on the Israeli government. I am very sure about it. This will put us in a less influential position,' she said in an interview earlier this month.
Kallas's predecessor Josep Borrell, however, has criticised Europe for shirking its moral responsibilities over Gaza. In a typically outspoken speech, he argued the EU should use the association agreement as a lever to demand that humanitarian law is respected.
In a further illustration of the EU's foreign policy knots, Hungary is blocking EU sanctions against Hamas and violent Israeli settlers.
Kallas earlier this week voiced frustration at critics that have accused the EU of silence and inaction, citing the need to find consensus. 'Sanctions need unanimity. And again I'm representing 27 [countries].' She argued that presenting sanctions that would inevitably fail was pointless: 'I feel better myself that I've done something, but actually I know that this will not go through … and then it will just show that we don't have a common position.'

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Times

37 minutes ago

• Times

What war in the Middle East means for your money

The conflict between Israel and Iran is the latest geopolitical shock set to hamper the outlook for the UK economy — and, ultimately, your bank balance. Since the attacks began on June 12, the price of oil has risen to a six-month high. Hopes for interest rate cuts have been dashed, fears of rising inflation have been amplified, and any respite from stock market turmoil appears to have been short-lived. • Read more money advice and tips on investing from our experts This week the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said: 'I'm always concerned about the effect of international issues on people back at home. You saw with Ukraine the direct impact it had on energy bills. Equally, with this conflict, you can see the effect it's having on the economy, particularly on the price of energy.' From petrol prices to pension pots, here's what you need to know: Iran is the third-largest oil producer among the 12 members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), and there are worries about how a wider regional war could affect the transport of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for about 25 per cent of seaborne crude oil transportation, according to the consultancy Capital Economics. The price of a barrel of Brent crude hit a six-month high of about $78 after Israeli attacks on Iran began, up from about $65 at the start of this month. That is bound to have a knock-on effect on motorists, said David Oxley from Capital Economics: 'A rough rule of thumb is that a $10 rise in the oil price will add about 7p to the price at the pump.' It normally takes about two weeks for oil prices to feed into pump prices, Oxley said. Motorists have, however, had some recent respite from the cost of living crisis as petrol and diesel prices hit their lowest in almost four years. Petrol cost an average of 132p a litre last month, the lowest since July 2021, while diesel was at 138p, the lowest since September 2021, according to the motoring organisation the RAC. While prices are likely to rise, they are not expected to reach the high of March 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused the oil price to reach $127 per barrel. The price in sterling peaked in July of that year at more than £100 with pump prices hitting 192p per litre for petrol and 199p per litre for diesel. More than a million homeowners whose fixed deals come to an end this year may have their hopes of further interest rate cuts dashed. The lowest two-year fix was 3.72 per cent last month, but rates are starting to tick up again, according to the property portal Rightmove. The lowest two-year deal is now 3.82 per cent from Lloyds Bank for those with a Club Lloyds account. The lowest five-year fixed rate has gone from 3.78 per cent to 3.88 per cent, also from Lloyds. Lenders had been cutting mortgage rates to compete for business, but changed tack after inflation went from 2.6 per cent for the year to March to 3.5 per cent in April. This makes cuts to the Bank of England base rate less likely — the Bank generally keeps the rate high when inflation is above its target of 2 per cent. The Consumer Prices Index inflation figure for the year to May, released this week, was 3.4 per cent. Uncertainty around President Trump's trade tariffs and conflict in the Middle East has also dampened hopes of further base rate cuts. The Bank held rates at 4.25 per cent this week, which, although a lot higher than the sub 2 per cent rates many mortgage holders will have fixed at three or five years ago, is down from the peak of 5.25 per cent in August last year. Fixed mortgage rates are based on swap rates (the rates at which banks lend to each other, which are in turn based on forecasts of where Bank rate is expected to be in the future), which have edged up over the past week or so, suggesting that mortgage rates could follow. Homeowners who want certainty can lock in a new deal up to six months before theirs ends yet still swap if a cheaper deal comes along. Rising oil prices could also cause other expenses to creep up, particularly if the Iran conflict continues or escalates. Lotanna Emediegwu, an economics lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, said that prolonged conflict could drive up energy bills. The price cap that limits how much suppliers can charge customers on standard variable tariffs will work out at an average bill of £1,720 a year for gas and electricity from July 1 (down 7 per cent from today's cap). At the moment analysts expect the cap to go up 2 to 3 per cent in October, but this could change dramatically. He said: 'Until recently, fuel prices had been rising less than other things, so actually mitigating some inflationary pressures. The recent conflict is expected to reverse this trend. 'The financial repercussions extend beyond immediate energy costs into transportation and logistics. Transport expenses are particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in fuel prices. This affects everything from airline fares to shipping costs for products, ultimately hitting consumer prices.' Before June 12, when Israel launched strikes on Iran, inflation had been expected to rise to 3.5 per cent by the autumn — now it could go further. A sustained $10 per barrel rise in the oil price typically pushes up annual inflation by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points, according to The Economist, meaning that it could be closer to 3.7 per cent by September. Emediegwu said a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route could add a further 0.5 to 1 percentage points, which could take it close to 5 per cent. So far the stock market has been fairly resilient to the conflict in the Middle East. The UK's FTSE 100 is down about 0.77 per cent since the turmoil started, while the US's S&P 500 is down about 1.06 per cent. If a sustained conflict leads to an increase in the price of oil, stock valuations may fall — this is because higher oil prices lead to higher inflation, which means interest rates are likely to stay higher for longer, which makes it more expensive for companies to borrow money to grow and often curbs investors' risk appetite. Losers are likely to include airline and travel stocks, as well as so-called growth stocks, which include technology and healthcare companies. Many investors will have exposure to the US 'Magnificent Seven' tech stocks of Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Tesla, Amazon, Meta and Nvidia. These companies are often valued on their future earnings potential, which means their stock price can be volatile if company results or wider economic conditions point towards a slowdown of earnings. The good news is that Iran and Israel are a very limited part of the global stock market, so direct exposure for most UK investors will be immaterial. However, Michael Field from the research firm Morningstar said that the risk is that wider markets get jittery about the potential for the conflict to escalate further. Investors should avoid making any kneejerk changes to their portfolio. Ultimately, while geopolitical tensions may create short-term turmoil, historically markets have been resilient in the long term. Jacob Falkencrone from the investment bank Saxo said: 'As an investor, your greatest tool is a disciplined approach — staying informed, remaining calm and focusing on your long-term investment goals rather than reacting impulsively to temporary shocks.'

Daily Mirror

an hour ago

• Daily Mirror

Race to stop WW3 amid fears Israel-Iran conflict could spread as bombs rain down

World leaders are trying to prevent an all-out war in the Middle East as tensions between and Iran show no sign of stopping - and Donald Trump weighs whether to get involved A major diplomatic push to stop all-out Middle East war was underway on Friday as both sides rained down deadly missiles on each other. But Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said before a Geneva meeting of European ministers that Israel 's attacks on his country were 'war crimes' and that Tehran had the right to defend itself. And meanwhile a spat between Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon and his Iranian counterpart Amir Iravani broke out at the Un Security Council. Danny Danon stormed at the New York meeting: 'How dare you? - You are not a diplomat. You are a wolf.' ‌ ‌ And he said of Iran: 'It is a war machine - all over the world. We do not apologise for striking Iran's nuclear sites.' Separately Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi was heading for urgent diplomacy talks with European ministers, including UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. As he made his way to Geneva, Abbas Araghchi spoke to the press as at least four Israeli cities were hit by blasts from Tehran's latest missile onslaught. Araghchi said: 'We have clearly said that there is no room for talking until this aggression stops.' Later he accused America of 'betrayal' as he spoke to European ministers in Geneva, saying: 'We were attacked in the midst of an ongoing diplomatic process. "We were supposed to meet with the Americans on 15 June to craft a very promising agreement for peaceful resolution of the issues fabricated over our peaceful nuclear programme. It was a betrayal of diplomacy and an unprecedented blow to the foundations of international law.' In New York Israeli ambassador Danny Danon hit back at his Iranian counterpart furiously that Tehran had a regime that chants: 'Death to Israel, death to America, death to England and Israel is stopping this.' And he said Tehran had 'lied to the International Energy Agency.' He added: 'While the Ayatollah shouts death to America and death Israel many here ignored it. This hypocrisy would allow Iran to get as far as it has,' in its nuclear programme. He added: 'It allowed Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militia in Iraq.' ‌ Earlier Iranian bombs hit multiple cities including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheba and Negev, sending locals diving for cover and causing grey smoke in the air above communities. It is believed Tehran's latest onslaught included as many as 39 missiles and at least one of the weapons may have been a cluster bomb. In one attack the city of Beersheba was hit by multiple impacts indicating that Tehran may be using ballistic missile carrying cluster weapons. It followed as many as 60 Israeli warplanes in waves targeting sites throughout Iran including the capital as the march towards major war failed to ease off. US President Donald Trump is weighing up whether to launch US warplanes at Iran and join Israel's attacks on Tehran's nuclear programme. Before his flight, Araghchi said on Iranian state television that his country was "not seeking negotiations with anyone" as long as Israel's attacks continued. ‌ He also accused the U.S. of collaborating with Israel, noting that Trump regularly used "we" in social media posts and interviews talking about the attacks on Iran. He added: "It is the Americans who want talks. "They've sent messages several times - very serious ones - but we made it explicitly clear to them that as long as this aggression and invasion continue, there is absolutely no room for talk or diplomacy. We are engaged in legitimate self-defense, and this defense will not stop under any circumstances." ‌ UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK is arranging charter flights to return British nationals from Israel once Israeli airspace re-opens, the foreign secretary has said. David Lammy confirmed the government was working with Israel to provide flights out of Tel Aviv airport. Israeli airspace is closed due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The statement came as Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with Iran, in the hopes of negotiating an agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme. ‌ French President Emmanuel Macron said European diplomats in Geneva will make a "comprehensive, diplomatic and technical offer of negotiation" to Iran, as a key response to the "threat" represented by Iran's nuclear program. He added: "No one can seriously believe that this threat can be met with Israel's current operations alone. We need to regain control on (Iran's nuclear) program through technical expertise and negotiation." And former UK ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton said that there was "no imminent threat" to Israel from Iran. He said strongly opposed the "appalling and unacceptable" rhetoric that Iran has used about Israel for many years. ‌ But he added: "Decades of tolerance of Israeli defiance of international law has cemented Israeli belief that they are untouchable. Whatever their actions, they have a sense of impunity." When asked about Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium - which is close to weapons-grade and something they have refused to explain for several years - the expert said: "They've done that in order to put leverage on the international community to revert to the deal which was working, and which President Trump foolishly scrapped in 2018. It was a highly questionable decision to do that". ‌ Iran had previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors in to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief and other provisions. After Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his last term Iran began enriching uranium to higher levels and limiting access to its facilities. Israel said it conducted airstrikes into Friday morning in Iran with more than 60 aircraft hitting what it said were industrial sites to manufacture missiles. It also said it hit the headquarters of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its acronym in Farsi, SPND. It carried out airstrikes around Kermanshah and Tabriz in western Iran, where the military said 25 fighter jets struck "missile storage and launch infrastructure components.' Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said: "We are strengthening our air control in the region and advancing our air offensive. We have more sites to strike in Tehran, western Iran and other places." ‌ Israeli airstrikes also reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday. The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown. In Israel, the paramedic service Magen David Adom said Iranian missiles struck a residential area in southern Israel causing damage to buildings, including one six-story building. They have provided medical treatment to five people with minor injuries such as bruises, smoke inhalation, and anxiety, it said. ‌ On Thursday, at least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in a strike on the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba. After Iran hit a hospital in Beersheba Israeli defence minister Israel Katz threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , saying Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America." Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the hospital, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot." War between Israel and Iran erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Iran retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel. At least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. But it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

BBC News

2 hours ago

• BBC News

Iran will consider diplomacy when Israeli aggression stops

Iran has said it will not resume talks over its nuclear programme while under attack, hours after Israel's defence minister warned of "prolonged" conflict against the Islamic of violence continued on Friday, as Iran fired another salvo of missiles at northern Israel, and Israel targeted dozens of sites in Iran. Israel's foreign minister, Eyal Zamir, said in a video address that his country should be ready for "ready for a prolonged campaign" and warned of "difficult days ahead."Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met with European diplomats in Geneva who urged him to revive diplomatic efforts with the US over Tehran's nuclear programme. But Araghchi said Iran was ready to consider diplomacy only once Israel's "aggression is stopped".He went on to say that Iran's nuclear programme was peaceful, and that Israel's attacks on it are a violation of international law, adding that Iran will continue to "exercise its legitimate right of self-defence"."I make it crystal clear that Iran's defence capabilities are non-negotiable," he said. Israel's ambassador to the UN accused Iran of having a "genocidal agenda" and posed an ongoing threat, adding that Israel would not stop targeting nuclear facilities until they were "dismantled". Trump: Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran had a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, suggesting that he could take a decision before the 14-day deadline he set on Thursday."I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum," Trump told added that the aim was to "see whether or not people come to their senses."The US president was also dismissive of the talks between Araghchi and foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany and the EU."Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this," Trump said. UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said that the US had provided "a short window of time" to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, which he said was "perilous and deadly serious". French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said "we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for".Barrot added that "can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem" and warned that it was "dangerous to want to impose a regime change" in Iran. As the Geneva talks took place, the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran was hit by a new round of Iranian strikes with the Israeli military reporting an attack of 20 missiles targeting Israeli woman died of a heart attack, bringing the Israeli total since the conflict began to Israel Defense Forces said it attacked ballistic missile storage and launch sites in western the last week, Israeli air strikes have destroyed Iranian military facilities and weapons, and killed senior military commanders and nuclear health ministry said on Sunday that at least 224 people had been killed, but a human rights group put the unofficial death toll at 639 on has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the air strikes.