EU leaders to consider increased pressure on Israel at summit

“The limit has been reached, and it has been for some time.”

So said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) when she described the situation in Gaza at the Folkemødet on Thursday.

Here, the Prime Minister stated that sanctions against Israel are being considered within the EU framework. They may be on the table soon.

At the EU summit at the end of June, the heads of state and government of the EU countries will have to address Israel and the situation in Gaza.

This is stated by the President of the EU, António Costa, in his invitation to the summit on Thursday.

“Israel must fully comply with international law and its international obligations.

We will assess the instruments and options that the European Union has available in this regard,” Costa writes ahead of the summit.

Thus, EU countries may be on their way to increasing pressure on Israel.

Israel is accused of blocking humanitarian aid to the civilian population during the war against the militant group Hamas.

“We will discuss the situation in the Middle East with a focus on the terrible situation in Gaza,” Costa writes in his invitation to Mette Frederiksen and the other heads of state and government of the 27 EU countries.

According to Costa, the EU has already established a clear line in the conflict:

“There is a need for safe, rapid, and unhindered distribution of humanitarian assistance, unconditional release of all hostages, immediate return to the ceasefire, and a permanent end to hostilities with a view to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on a two-state solution,” Costa writes.

But it is implied between the lines that Israel is not the partner that the EU had hoped for in the attempt to achieve peace.

Prior to the EU summit, the UN is also holding a conference on the possibility of implementing a two-state solution. This will take place in New York from June 17-20.

The outcome of that conference will be included in the considerations at the EU summit. Costa hopes that the meeting can be concluded in one day on June 26.