EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels to discuss the latest developments unfolding in the Middle East on Monday, June 23.
The talks come amid growing international concern following the recent U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, conducted in support of ongoing Israeli attacks on Iranian targets that have escalated in recent days.
One of the main issues on the EU foreign ministers’ agenda, according to sources, is how the bloc can contribute to de-escalating the crisis and fostering a return to diplomacy.
Yesterday, Sunday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged all parties “to take a step back, return to the negotiating table, and prevent further escalation.”
Focus on Gaza
Also high on the agenda are the findings of a report indicating that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip do not comply with the principles of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Published last Friday by the EU’s External Action Service—the bloc’s diplomatic arm—the report concluded that “there are indications that Israel is violating its obligations regarding human rights under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”
It further states that “the ongoing restrictions imposed by Israel on the supply of food, medicine, medical equipment, and other essential goods affect the entire population of Gaza.”
In response, an Israeli official dismissed the report on Friday as “one-sided,” describing it as “an example of the double standards the EU applies to Israel.”
The report also examines conditions in the occupied West Bank, including violence against Palestinians by Jewish settlers.
EU member states’ governments now face the challenge of deciding if and how to respond to the report’s findings. Foreign ministers appear divided, with some supporting measures against Israel, but no concrete decisions are expected to be made during today’s meeting.
