Amnesty slams EU over failure to act as Israel breaches human rights pact

Amnesty International has sharply criticised the European Commission and EU member states after the bloc’s long-awaited review of its Association Agreement with Israel confirmed "indications" that Tel Aviv is violating its human rights obligations in the besieged Gaza Strip. 

The internal review, presented to EU foreign ministers on Monday, marks the first formal acknowledgement by the European Commission that Israel is in breach of Article 2 of the Association Agreement, which ties trade and political relations with respect for human rights.

Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International's European Institutions Office, said in a statement that the findings, while cautious, confirmed what human rights groups, international institutions, and legal experts have been documenting for years.

"Despite its timid wording, the European Commission finally states the obvious: Israel is breaching its human rights obligations under the Agreement," she said.

"This is an indisputable fact that Amnesty International, international courts, UN bodies, independent experts, prominent Palestinian, Israeli and international NGOs, scholars, commentators and former diplomats have been saying for years," she continued. 

The Association Agreement underpins Israel’s close economic and political ties with the EU, granting access to European markets, joint programmes, and diplomatic cooperation.

This month's review was initiated by a formal request led by the Netherlands and supported by 17 member states, following pressure from Spain and Ireland earlier this year.

But Amnesty strongly criticised the EU’s failure to announce any concrete response, calling the inaction "unforgivable" and "disturbing".

"Every day the EU delays meaningful action is a green light for Israel to continue its genocide in the Gaza Strip and unlawful occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory," she added.

The Commission's report stopped short of recommending sanctions or suspension of the agreement - a decision Amnesty says risks making the EU complicit in grave violations of international law.

"Now that they have determined there are ‘indications’ that Israel is breaching human rights, there is no excuse for inaction or delays," Geddie said. "Every deal that EU member states do with Israel in the meantime leaves them at risk of being complicit in Israel’s grave violations of international law, including genocide."

Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, Amnesty and dozens of other human rights organisations have urged the EU to suspend trade and investment ties that could enable war crimes or crimes against humanity. These include the ongoing blockade of Gaza, systematic attacks on civilians, and policies amounting to apartheid.

"Member states in favour of suspending the agreement must use all their diplomatic weight to ensure that opponents of the suspension, including Germany, fully understand the risk of complicity and the cruel toll on Palestinian lives of continued EU inaction," Geddie added.

"If the EU fails to live up to these obligations as a bloc, and seeks to shield itself from its clear legal obligations, its member states must unilaterally suspend all forms of cooperation that may contribute to violations of international law."

Growing calls for suspension

The statement comes as Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares renewed calls for an immediate suspension of the Association Agreement, alongside an arms embargo and sanctions targeting those obstructing a two-state solution.

"This is the time for action," Albares told reporters ahead of Monday's foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels. "If the Association Agreement is based on human rights, it’s the most normal thing that we suspend it immediately."

He echoed earlier warnings by European leaders that failure to act would represent a moral and political failure for the EU.

Slovenia and Sweden also backed stronger action. Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said the EU must "recognise Israel's human rights violations and act accordingly", calling for "trade sanctions or freezing the agreement" and stressing that humanitarian aid must not be obstructed.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard added: "People are suffering and we cannot just be bystanders."

However, Germany and Italy publicly opposed suspension, citing strategic and geopolitical interests.

Meanwhile, humanitarian groups warn that the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Critical shortages of food, water, and medicine persist, and Israel’s bombardment has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians since the war began, levelling entire neighbourhoods.