Israel launched its attack on Gaza in October 2023, after an attack by Hamas militants on Israeli territory killed over 1,000 people. Nearly 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to local health authorities.
German leverage
The EU has struggled to make an impact since the conflict began — but if Germany decides to take bolder steps, it could unlock the bloc’s strongest measures yet against Israel.
Merz has already criticized Israeli actions in unusually strong terms for a German leader, but is now facing demands to match his rhetoric with action, including from his junior coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). Two senior SPD lawmakers this week called on Merz’s government to stop weapons exports to Israel and to join European efforts to suspend the EU’s association agreement with the country.
At a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, EU ambassadors discussed the Gaza crisis and four countries — including Germany and Italy — reiterated their opposition to taking action via the association agreement.
That meant there would be a “blocking minority” able to prevent any penalty measures being approved in a vote of EU countries’ representatives in Brussels.
Around 10 countries, including Belgium, Ireland, Spain and Luxembourg spoke in favor of at least partial suspension of the agreement with Israel at Wednesday’s meeting, according to an EU diplomat granted anonymity to speak candidly.