Von Der Leyen states EU to suspend its payments to Israel

(MENAFN) The European Union will halt its bilateral support programs with Israel and freeze related payments in response to the ongoing siege of Gaza, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Wednesday.

She stated that the situation in Gaza has “shaken the conscience of the world” and added that, beyond suspending payments, the EU will propose sanctions targeting “extremist ministers and violent settlers” and “propose a partial suspension of the Association Agreement on trade-related matters.”

The Commission had also suggested cutting Israel’s access to EU Horizon research funding for start-ups, but von der Leyen noted this action is not yet possible because it requires approval from a weighted majority of the bloc’s 27 member states. Germany, Italy, Hungary, and several other countries currently oppose the measure.

Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU “cannot afford to be paralyzed” in the face of “catastrophic” images emerging from Gaza, showing people being “killed while begging for food” and “mothers holding lifeless babies.” Since Israel launched its campaign two years ago, over 64,000 people have died in Gaza, following Hamas’ 2023 attack that left 1,200 dead and around 250 hostages.

The announcement comes after Israel faced global criticism for a strike on a Hamas-controlled compound in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani condemned the attack as “state terrorism” and stressed that it would not be “overlooked,” noting that Doha “reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack.” Moscow also denounced the strike as a “gross violation of international law and the UN Charter,” warning that such actions could escalate tensions and destabilize the Middle East.

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