Israel Disregards EU Cooperation Guidelines in Gaza Operations

Breaking: EU Audit Report Slams Israel for Violating Cooperation Principles in Gaza

Israel disregards EU cooperation principles in the Gaza Strip

Grab the Popcorn: The international drama surrounding Israel's actions in Gaza continues, with the European Union calling Israel out for flouting their cooperation principles. Let's dive into the details of this latest development.

Recently, the EU has released a damning internal audit report, concluding that Israel's actions in Gaza breach the established principles for close cooperation with the EU. This revealing piece of information comes from the high-level gathering of diplomats in Brussels.

Wait for it... The member states are now grappling with the next steps - from halting the current partnership agreement to slapping economic sanctions on Israel. Potential penalties include revoking tariff reductions and blocking Israel's access to the EU research funding program, Horizon.

The Cat's Out of the Bag

The audacious audit report, spearheaded by EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas, follows a mandate from the EU Foreign Ministers Council. Just a few months ago, this council, with an overwhelming majority, decided to scrutinize Israel to determine if the country was still abiding by the fundamental principles of the so-called Association Agreement. This agreement includes the provision that the relationship between the parties is based on respect for human rights.

Given Israel's unyielding hold on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip where approximately two million Palestinians reside, its actions are now deemed a violation of this fundamental principle. Israel justifies this stance by fingering the Islamic Hamas as the beneficiary of aid deliveries.

Gaza: The New World Hunger Spot?

Even before the release of the audit report, the outcome had been hinted at for weeks. EU Commission President von der Leyen starkly stated at the end of May that the escalation and disproportionate use of force against civilians in the Gaza Strip blatantly defied humanitarian and international law. Israel's intensified military operations, which target civilian infrastructure, garner widespread condemnation.

She didn't mince words while discussing the destruction of a school building that housed displaced Palestinian families as an example. Tragically, children lost their lives in this incident. Israel claims it was targeting a Hamas command center. Intensive discussions about the partnership agreement with Israel have already taken place within the EU last year, kicked off mainly by Spain and Ireland.

Source: ntv.de, Ansgar Haase, dpa

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Wars and Conflicts
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**Enrichment Data:

The European Union has officially recognized that Israel's conduct in Gaza and the West Bank violates their obligations under Human Rights and International Law as outlined in Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This determination was based on evaluations from international institutions and a review commissioned by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, in response to a request from the Dutch government and other member states[1][5].

In response to these findings, the EU has already enforced sanctions on nine individuals and five entities accountable for serious human rights abuses against Palestinians[2][3]. However, disagreements on broader sanctions targeting Israel for the broader conflict and alleged violations in Gaza and the West Bank have been divisive within the EU. Key member states, such as Germany and the Czech Republic, have opposed stronger punitive measures, leading to a delay in any concrete decisions on additional sanctions until at least the following month[4].

The leaked EU External Action Service report implicates Israel in several accusations, including responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, utilization of starvation as a weapon, indiscriminate firing, refusal to comply with International Court of Justice rulings, and settlement violence, all of which contribute to the conclusion of breaches in international law and the EU-Israel Association Agreement[4][1].

In essence, the EU has officially acknowledged Israel's violations of EU cooperation principles in Gaza and taken some punitive measures against individuals and entities linked to human rights abuses but has not yet endorsed broader sanctions targeting Israel itself due to internal resistance within the bloc. Further decisions on potential consequences are deferred and remain under political debate among EU member states[1][4][5].

The EU audit report, spearheaded by EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas, has concluded that Israel's actions in Gaza violate the fundamental principles for close cooperation with the EU, specifically those outlined in the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which includes the provision that the relationship between the parties is based on respect for human rights.
Given the recent revelations from the EU audit report, discussions among EU member states are now focused on the next steps, ranging from halting the current partnership agreement to slapping economic sanctions on Israel, which could involve revoking tariff reductions and blocking Israel's access to the EU research funding program, Horizon.