EU discusses sanctions against Israel for the first time in earnest

Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said that on May 27, EU foreign ministers discussed possible sanctions against Israel for non-compliance with international humanitarian law.

He told reporters after a meeting of the EU Council in Brussels.

According to Martin, “For the first time at an EU meeting, I saw a real discussion about sanctions” against Israel and the conditions for their introduction - first of all, the implementation of the orders of the International Court of Justice regarding operations in the Gaza Strip.

“There is a lot of concern ... among member states about the clear situation where the International Court of Justice has made a decision, has made provisional orders, and the EU has always supported the independence of this court and the need for countries to comply with its decisions,” he explained.

The Irish foreign minister added that EU ministers agreed to convene a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council to “express our grave concern” over the events in Gaza and to press Israel to comply with the UN court's orders.

Author - Olena Madiak, 27/05/2024