The European Commission on Wednesday (September 17) proposed to suspend free-trade arrangements on Israeli goods due to the war in Gaza, even though the measure does not currently have sufficient support among the European Union's member countries to pass.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also proposed a package of sanctions on two Israeli ministers, as well as violent settlers and Hamas members.

"The aim is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," said European policy chief Kaja Kallas.

The proposals followed EU Executive Chief Ursula von der Leyen's announcement last week on a new package of measures on Israel over war in Gaza.

In a State of the Union speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen also said the suspension of the Commission's bilateral support for Israel, will not affect work with Israeli civil society and Yad Vashem, Israel's main Holocaust memorial centre.

The Commission had previously proposed curbing Israeli access to its flagship research funding programme but failed to garner sufficient support from EU member countries for the move.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 17, 2025) (EUROPEAN UNION - Access all)

1. EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF KAJA KALLAS AND EU COMMISSIONER FOR TRADE MAROS SEFCOVIC ENTERING PRESS ROOM (MUTE)

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

“Today in the college (of EU commissioners), we also addressed the war in Gaza. The Israeli government's push into Gaza City is a new escalation of the war and will further deepen the humanitarian crisis. Today, I presented a robust package of sanctions on Hamas terrorists, extremist ministers in the Israeli government, and violent settlers and entities supporting the impunity going on in the West Bank. The Commission adopted a proposal to partially suspend trade concessions.”

3. PRESSER ONGOING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

“Commissioner Sefcovic will update you on the trade details in a minute. And I want to be very clear. The aim is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. All Member States agree that the situation in Gaza is untenable. The war needs to end. The suffering must stop and all hostages must be released. We must use all the tools we have towards this outcome. We must also not lose sight of the dangerous developments in the West Bank that reduce the viability of a two-state solution.”

5. PRESSER ONGOING

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FILE - MARCH 13, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

6. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF EU COMMISSION BUILDING