The director of Israel's Mossad spy agency visited DC this week seeking U.S. help in convincing countries to take hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza

The European Union is facing criticism from human rights organizations after choosing not to impose sanctions on Israel in response to the conflict in Gaza and ongoing violence in the West Bank.

Amnesty International and other advocacy groups expressed concern following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, where no consensus was reached on punitive measures toward Israel. The bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, stated that while “all options remain on the table,” no specific course of action was endorsed. Her office had previously prepared 10 potential responses based on a review indicating that Israel may have breached human rights commitments.

Kallas said Israel should “take more concrete steps to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground,” which she had earlier described as “catastrophic.” The remarks followed an announcement of a new agreement between the EU and Israel aimed at increasing the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where approximately 2.1 million people face shortages of food and clean water due to damaged infrastructure.

EU sources noted that aid deliveries into Gaza have increased to about 80 trucks per day, but distribution challenges persist. Over the weekend, local reports indicated that 139 individuals—including women and children—died within a 24-hour period, including some at food distribution sites. The United Nations estimates that around 850 people in Gaza have died while attempting to access aid since May.

The EU foreign ministers were not expected to endorse any of the 10 proposed sanctions measures, including a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a trade and cooperation pact. That action would require unanimous approval from all member states, which remains unlikely due to opposition from countries such as Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Hungary has also blocked EU sanctions targeting Israeli settlers involved in West Bank violence.

While Ireland and other countries have expressed concern over the humanitarian situation, only Spain has explicitly supported suspending the association agreement. Other governments are waiting for further recommendations from the EU’s external affairs office.

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, criticized the decision, calling it inconsistent with the EU’s stated commitment to international law and human rights. Claudio Francavilla, acting EU director for Human Rights Watch, also expressed disappointment, saying ministers had again failed to reach agreement on accountability measures.

Kallas emphasized that although progress was being made—such as improved border access, truck deliveries, and infrastructure repairs—further action is needed to achieve lasting improvements. She confirmed that the EU would monitor the implementation of the recent agreement closely, with updates provided every two weeks.

The EU stated that the agreement includes increased daily truck access for essential supplies and repair work to restore power to a key water desalination plant in Gaza.