'No agreement' on EU suspending dialogue with Israel

European Union foreign ministers have not reached agreement to suspend political dialogue with Israel during a meeting in Brussels, according to the Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

The EU's outgoing foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has asked EU foreign ministers to assess if Israel is in breach of the human rights clause in the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Mr Sikorski told reporters after the meeting: "We know that there are tragic events in Gaza, huge civilian casualties, but we do not forget who started the current cycle of violence.

"And I can tell you that there was no agreement on the idea of suspending negotiations with Israel."

The Dutch foreign minister, Caspar Veldkamp, also said the EU needed to continue its diplomatic dialogue with Israel.

In a statement, Taoiseach Simon Harris said a "clear message" must be sent that the conflict has to end.

He said: "The human right breaches which are taking place in Gaza and the catastrophic loss of life and human misery which are being caused is appalling.

"I have repeatedly called for a meaningful interpretation of the EU Israel Association Agreement and have pressed for this at every opportunity.

"We must send a clear message that the conflict has to end and the slaughter of innocents must stop."

Mr Borrell, whose five-year term ends on 1 December, said he would ask EU foreign ministers to look at options that would hold Israel to account in complying with the Association Agreement’s human rights clause, during his final meeting as the EU’s foreign policy chief.

He told reporters in Brussels that he would also ask foreign ministers to ensure that the EU is in compliance with the advisory decision by the International Court of Justice which, in July, deemed that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was illegal.

Ireland and Spain have long lobbied for the EU to test whether Israel is in breach of Article 2 of the Assocation Agreement - which covers trade and other bilateral areas of cooperation - as a result of its war on Gaza.

Article 2 binds both parties to observe fundamental human rights.

The European Commission has yet to carry out an assessment of whether or not Israel is in compliance with Article 2 because of a lack of consensus among national capitals on the issue.

In general, Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic have resisted any moves to impose trade sanctions on Israel via the Article 2 mechanism, or to ask the Commission to explore any potential breach.

Following Ireland and Spain's initiative in February, there have been attempts to bring both sides together through the EU-Israel Association Council.

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However, there have been disagreements over the agenda of the meeting and where it might take place.

Mr Borrell has said Israel, however, was willing to have a meeting of the Association Council before the end of the Hungarian presidency of the EU, which finishes on 31 December.

Mr Borrell told reporters: "I will present to colleagues a proposal in order to study which are the decisions that could be taken for the compliance with the [EU-Israel] association council from the point of view of human rights, and also which measures can be taken in order to be sure that we fulfill all commitments in order not to trade with the products produced on occupied territories according to the rules of the International Court of Justice."

He said there were "no more words" to describe the conflict in Gaza.

Mr Borrell said the UN Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher had informed him that 44,000 people had been killed since Israel launched its assault, in response to the Hamas terror attack on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 250 hostages being taken.

He said 70% of those killed in Gaza were women and children, with the greatest number of casualties being children under the age of nine.

EU diplomats have said there is little likelihood of Mr Borrell’s proposal on the EU-Israel Association Agreement issue securing consensus at today’s meeting.

One diplomat, not from any of those member states most supportive of Israel, said it seemed "designed to fail" because it was "ill-prepared".