EU holds off on Israel sanctions to monitor new aid flow into Gaza

Jordan says aid entering Gaza 'far from sufficient'

A Palestinian man carries an Emirates Red Crescent food box from an aid distribution centre in Gaza city. Bloomberg

The European Union will be updated every two weeks on Israel's implementation of a new aid deal for Gaza, the EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday after a meeting of the bloc's 27 foreign ministers.

They discussed but failed to adopt any of the 10 options put forward by Ms Kallas to retaliate against Israel after it was found to have breached a human rights clause enshrined in EU-Israel relations during the Gaza war.

The options included a full suspension of relations, which remains unlikely because it requires consensus, as well as decisions that need a qualified majority vote such as restricting privileged trade relations. The EU is historically divided on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

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"The aim is not to punish Israel, it is to really improve the situation in Gaza," Ms Kallas said. The next meeting of EU foreign ministers is scheduled in October, after a summer break.

EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas had set out 10 possibilities for the bloc's response to Israel's actions in Gaza. EPA

EU countries, however, remain open to moving forward with the options paper as leverage to use against Israel if it fails to implement the deal in full. "Israel needs to take more concrete steps to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground," Ms Kallas said. "The European Union will keep a close watch on how Israel implements this common understanding. We will keep these options on the table and stand ready to act if Israel does not live up to its pledges."

Deal not respected

The agreement struck last Thursday has led to some concrete developments such as the reopening of aid crossings and Israeli authorisation of Unicef to repair water pipes, EU officials say, but it remains unclear how many aid lorries have been able to enter the enclave.

The expected number is 160 lorries a day, according to news website Politico, but humanitarians say at least three times more are needed to meet the needs of Gaza's two million inhabitants. Between 40 and 50 lorries entered recently via the Jordanian route, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has said, describing the figure as “far from being sufficient”.

Ahead of talks on Tuesday, Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, expressed frustration with the deal, saying the EU had no visibility on how many lorries had entered Gaza. "What is clear is that the agreement is not fully implemented," she said.

Palestinian clan members hold melee weapons to secure an aid lorry in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, Reuters

Decisions taken by the Israeli cabinet on July 6 to expand the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza were reflected in the deal struck with the EU, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in Brussels ahead of a separate meeting on Monday evening. Mr Saar said those decisions were "taking place on the ground" a few days before the agreement was announced on Thursday.

Israel has since late May been backing a new controversial aid distribution mechanism, the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, which has been accused of leading to a surge of deaths among Palestinians as they try to access aid. The EU has said it supports a return of the UN as the main humanitarian co-ordinator.

Senior officials have warned the EU's failure to act on Israel's breach of the human rights clause of the EU-Israel Association Agreement during the Gaza war would be a stain on its conscience. "The dignity of Europe is also at stake," said Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, who supports a full suspension for at least the duration of the Gaza war.

National measures

Speaking to The National, former EU ambassador James Moran said the bloc should make more use of its leverage. "You would not have had the Israelis signing on to this humanitarian accord if there was not a danger that there would be some action taken over the EU-Israeli Association Agreement," he said.

At minimum, nations should apply an advisory opinion published by the International Court of Justice last year banning trade with the occupied Palestinian territories, he added, or Europe's reputation will be damaged by its failure to uphold international law. "We've reached the stage now in Gaza, where, frankly speaking, it's extremely difficult not to do something in terms of relations with Israel," he said.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the amount of aid Israel recently allowed into Gaza through his country is not enough. EPA

Some countries have said they would move ahead unilaterally if no action was taken. Measures considered by Slovenia include an embargo on arms exports and a ban on importing products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Ireland is likely to become the first EU country to pass a bill banning trade with the occupied Palestinian territories by the summer.

But Israel also has strong supporters within the EU, including Germany, which has welcomed the deal struck with Israel by Ms Kallas and has pushed back against further action. Germany shies away from appearing critical of Israel because of its role in the mass killing of Jews in Europe during the Second World War. Other strong Israel supporters include Hungary, the Czech Republic and Italy.