The E.U.’s diplomatic service has released a report that indicates Israel’s treatment of Palestinian citizens may breach human rights obligations under Article 2 of the E.U.–Israel Agreement. The E.U.’s leaders gathered in Brussels on Monday to discuss the audit’s findings and decide on a future course of action. This review included allegations from the International Court of Justice as well as U.N. agencies that stated the likelihood of Israel’s breach of international humanitarian law. Stipulated crimes against humanity include Israel’s blockade on essential humanitarian aid, continued military strikes on medical facilities, and engagement in forced displacement of the Palestinian population.

The E.U.’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that if the situation in Gaza does not improve, “further measures” will be discussed at a later meeting in July to possibly suspend its agreement with Israel, according to Euronews. Despite overwhelming evidence of its violations, Israel’s foreign ministry continues its denial of responsibility by stating that “this report and its conclusions should not be taken seriously or used as a basis for any future actions or conversations.” Israel’s statement can be understood to indicate its disbelief that the E.U. would take any action against trade relations with them.

The E.U.’s willingness to call out Israel for its human rights infringements is a step in the right direction as the E.U. is Israel’s “largest trading partner,” according to Politico, and holds crucial influence. Yet, the likelihood of the E.U. suspending a trade agreement with Israel is quite low as it requires unanimous agreement from all members. Austria, Germany, and Hungary have commonly backed Israel, and the possibility of these three consenting to suspend the E.U.–Israel Agreement is improbable. Although the probability of completely shelving trade relations is low, Kallas mentioned that leaders at the recent meeting discussed options of suspending particular provisions related to popular exports between the E.U. and Israel. While not a total suspension, such a move may be enough to convince Israel to reconsider its actions toward Palestinians to avoid trade disruptions with its most prominent economic partner.

The E.U.–Israel Association Agreement entered into force in 2000 and is the official legal basis of trade relations between the two parties. Since this time, Israel has enjoyed a wealth of trade from the E.U., with the E.U.’s total exports to Israel amounting to €26.7 billion in 2024 alone, according to the European Commission on Trade and Economic Security. The contested Article 2 of the agreement states that “relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.” A violation of this “essential element” is the basis for a violation of the entire agreement as a whole.

As the Palestinian population anguishes under Israel’s continuing assault on Gaza, the E.U. will be unlikely to see the situation improve in the next month. With no improvement, the E.U. will move into negotiations on further actions to influence Israel’s behavior. In order for such an endeavor to produce concrete results, the member states of the E.U. must look past favoritism towards Israel for the sake of condemning war crimes. While the pursuit of suspension of provisions is one small step to show Israel the E.U.’s disapproval, it is one of the most likely scenarios in which all member states would be willing to agree. As Israel’s largest trading partner, the E.U. must use its leverage to influence Israel’s actions as more and more Palestinian civilians continue to lose their lives.