EU likely to impose sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, says Spain’s foreign minister

The EU is likely to impose sanctions on a group of violent Israeli settlers on Monday, Spain’s top diplomat said ahead of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Anadolu has reported.

During the last such foreign ministers’ meeting, 26 states were in favour of the sanctions, just one short of the needed consensus. However, Jose Manuel Albares told the media that it “looks like” they will be adopted on Monday.

The agenda for the meeting will include an item from Spain and Ireland on whether possible Israeli violations of international and human rights law violate the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Albares said that this could be an excellent leverage point to force Israel to engage in negotiations.

“What we want is to bring everyone to the table of peace,” he said ahead of the meeting. “We have to use all possible tools to get an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian assistance and compliance with international humanitarian law.”

The ultimate goal, he added, is a two-state solution in which the international community recognises a viable Palestine state that lives alongside Israel in peace.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will join the EU meeting to discuss the crisis in Gaza and other global conflicts.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that Gaza is “no longer on the brink of famine, but in a state of famine” which Israel is using as “a weapon of war.”

Lamenting the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Albares said that, while Spain is attempting to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to the enclave via the Open Arms maritime mission and airdrops, these efforts are “a drop in the ocean” in comparison with what is required. “What is needed are land entrances… what is needed is for trucks with humanitarian aid to be able to enter like they used to,” he insisted.

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