Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to seek sanctions and a partial suspension of trade with Israel. The move follows the ongoing famine in the Gaza Strip, which she cited as the primary reason for the proposed measures.
The European Commission will immediately suspend approximately $37,517 million in bilateral funds. This action does not require approval from all EU member states and will not affect support to Israeli civil society or Yad Vashem.
The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, so the proposed measures could have significant impact. Israel denies there is starvation in Gaza and claims it allows sufficient humanitarian aid to enter.