Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stated that Belgium has initiated discussions about possible European Union trade sanctions against Israel due to its actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 people.
According to Belgium’s “Le Soir” newspaper, De Croo added that the Belgian government “had already decided a few weeks ago to impose trade sanctions on Israel. However, if Belgium imposes these sanctions alone, trade routes would simply change. That’s why we have been discussing for several weeks with other European countries on how to proceed.”
De Croo noted that “this issue needs to be resolved without loud proclamations. The European Union has a partnership agreement with Israel, which includes terms related to human rights.”
The European Union had previously imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers for the first time due to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The European Union has been active in discussing and implementing sanctions against Israeli entities and individuals, primarily in response to escalating violence and human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza. A focus has been placed on Israeli settlers who have been involved in violent actions against Palestinians. The EU has imposed sanctions that include travel bans and asset freezes on specific settlers and organizations such as Lehava and Hilltop Youth, recognized for their extremist activities and human rights abuses.
Additionally, the EU has expressed concern over the situation in Gaza, where the conflict has resulted in a significant number of Palestinian casualties and a humanitarian crisis. Calls for a ceasefire and the need for humanitarian aid have been emphasized by EU officials. The EU’s sanctions also extend to targeting entities supporting Hamas, due to its role in initiating the conflict with an attack on Israeli territory on October 7, leading to a severe response from Israel
