European Left Alliance calls for immediate suspension of EU-Israel agreement

LUXEMBOURG: The European Left Alliance on Monday urged European Union foreign ministers to immediately suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, saying a citizens’ initiative calling for action on Palestine had gathered more than 1 million signatures.

In a joint statement issued before the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday, the alliance said the European Citizens’ Initiative Justice for Palestine had crossed the required threshold in less than three months. It said the campaign had also met the national signature threshold in 11 EU member states, exceeding the minimum requirement of seven under EU rules.

This is the loudest democratic mandate the European Union has received on its foreign policy in years, and it leaves the Foreign Affairs Council with no excuse to delay any longer.

the alliance said in its statement.

The group accused Israel of continuing “to wage a genocide in Gaza,” while also stepping up what it described as “illegal annexation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” and carrying out strikes on Lebanon. It said these actions amounted to “systematic, documented violations of international humanitarian law, human rights, and of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”

The European Left Alliance demands that the Council immediately fully suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

the statement added.

Rights groups press for action

Separately, international rights organisations on Monday called on the EU to take concrete steps against Israel over alleged human rights violations in Gaza and Lebanon ahead of the ministers’ meeting. Speaking at an online press conference hosted by Human Rights Watch’s Brussels office, advocates said the bloc should go beyond expressions of concern and use its political and economic leverage to ensure accountability.

Sarah Nasrallah, senior advocacy and communications officer at the Lebanese Center for Human Rights, described conditions in southern Lebanon as a “humanitarian catastrophe” involving extensive destruction and displacement.

What we see in Lebanon today isn't just a humanitarian catastrophe, it is the physical erasure of a nation's geography and the systematic dismantling of the international legal order.

she said.

Nasrallah called on the EU to impose an arms embargo on Israel, back accountability mechanisms and work toward a diplomatic settlement to the conflict.

The EU must move beyond statements of concern and humanitarian support... Aid is not a substitute for justice.

she said.

Continued inaction has normalized these practices. Silence today is an investment in further escalation tomorrow.

Claudio Francavilla, associate director for EU advocacy at Human Rights Watch, said EU institutions and member states were already aware of the situation.

This is not a crisis of knowledge. It's a crisis of political will.

he said, adding that EU bodies had previously acknowledged possible breaches of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which links cooperation to respect for human rights.

Francavilla criticised what he described as the EU’s unwillingness to act despite having options including suspending trade preferences, stopping arms transfers and imposing targeted sanctions.

There are strong legal, moral and political grounds and perhaps even obligations to act.

he said, warning that continued arms transfers could leave EU states exposed to complicity in international crimes.

Tom Gibson, lead advocate at the Committee to Protect Journalists’ Brussels office, said media workers had faced an unprecedented toll.

Israel in 2024 was responsible for the majority of killings worldwide, nearly 70% and this is the highest number of killings by any country in a year since CPJ has been documenting since 1992.

he said.

Gibson said the killings often were not followed by credible investigations and accused Israeli authorities of describing journalists as combatants without sufficient evidence.

The statements came as EU foreign ministers prepared to discuss possible responses to the ongoing conflicts amid increasing pressure from some member states for a tougher approach. Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have urged the European Commission to open a debate on partially suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing the worsening humanitarian situation in the Middle East.