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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a package of measures responding to the Gaza crisis, including suspending funding to Israel, preparing targeted sanctions and creating a new Donors’ Group for Palestine.
“What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world,” von der Leyen said in her State of the Union Address to the European Parliament. “Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity—this must stop.”
The Commission will halt certain bilateral support programs with Israel while maintaining cooperation with civil society groups and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial center. It also plans to draft sanctions targeting extremist Israeli ministers and violent settlers in the West Bank. Von der Leyen said she would propose partially suspending the EU–Israel Association Agreement in trade-related areas.
She acknowledged deep divisions among EU member states, calling the lack of unity “painful” for Europeans.
To support Palestinians, von der Leyen announced the creation of a Donors’ Group for Palestine beginning next month, including a special mechanism for Gaza’s reconstruction in coordination with regional partners. The initiative follows the New York Conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.
Reiterating the EU’s commitment to a two-state solution, von der Leyen urged the bloc to “overcome its disagreements and act” to address the humanitarian crisis. “We all must assume our responsibilities; the European Parliament, the European Council, and the European Commission,” she said.
With information from CNA.
