EU nations must take stronger action and cannot continue acting as "bystanders," particularly regarding Gaza, Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said Monday ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, renewing Ireland's call for sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and those backing them.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, McEntee reiterated that Ireland has called for sanctions against violent occupiers in the West Bank and "those who support them."
"It is my view that the EU needs to act, that we cannot continue to be bystanders, particularly when it comes to Gaza, particularly when it comes to the escalating situation in the West Bank," she said.
Underscoring that she will be calling for the suspension of the trade elements of the Israeli-EU Association Agreement, McEntee said that it is "absolutely essential" that the EU aligns itself with international law.
"It's been made very clear that this kind of trade is illegal, and so I'll be working with colleagues ... the longer this is delayed, the longer this goes on, the less likely Israel is likely to change its behavior."
She went on to say that the violence has not decreased, rather it has only increased and that the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
"So the humanitarian situation is still catastrophic. Not enough aid is getting in, and the behaviors, and the actions of Israel are not changing, and I think we need to actually need to respond. I think we need to act. We need to respond."
Asked about "tariffs" when it comes to trade with occupiers, she said this "legitimizes what should be illegal trade."
"International law is very clear that these are illegal settlements. So by applying tariffs, you're suggesting that they are somewhat legitimized. So we would not support this," she added.
Later, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that EU foreign ministers agreed on a new round of sanctions targeting Israeli occupiers and organizations accused of supporting illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
"It's done! The European Union is sanctioning today the main Israeli organizations guilty of supporting the extremist and violent colonization of the West Bank, as well as their leaders. These most serious and intolerable acts must cease without delay," Barrot wrote on X.
