The European Union has started a review of its agreement with Israel, a European Commission spokesperson announced during a press conference in response to journalistic questions. The decision was taken by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas, BTA reports.
According to the spokesperson, the initiative was proposed by the Netherlands at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council earlier this week and has received broad support from the other member states. The review of the agreement is currently being carried out jointly by the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS).
„The agreement with Israel has various aspects - including political. In the political dimension, it is part of the Union's common foreign and security policy“, the spokesperson explained. He added that further action would be determined once the assessment was completed.
The spokesman declined to comment on the position of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on this process and did not give a specific timeframe for the completion of the assessment.
The decision to review the agreement is directly linked to Israel's military actions in Gaza. In this context, the European Commission announced yesterday the allocation of an additional €50 million in humanitarian aid due to the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the West Bank.