The European Union may partially or completely suspend the Association Agreement with Israel amid reports of human rights violations in the Gaza Strip. This is stated in a draft list of possible measures prepared by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and published by POLITICO.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement provides for close cooperation in trade and other areas. Among the options being discussed in Brussels are a “complete suspension” of the agreement or a restriction of political dialogue between the EU and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This would require the unanimous support of all 27 member states of the union.

At the same time, as noted in the document, the “suspension of the trade chapter” of the agreement could be approved by a majority vote in the EU Council. In this case, Israel would lose preferences for the supply of its goods to the European market — this option is more realistic in terms of voting.

The possibility of banning imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank is also being discussed. The introduction of a Europe-wide ban would require the consent of all EU member states, but the draft emphasizes that individual countries may implement such a measure at the national level.

Other proposals include restricting Israel's participation in EU educational and scientific programs such as Erasmus and Horizon, or reducing technical cooperation.

Earlier in June, EU leaders tasked European diplomacy chief Josep Borrell with preparing proposals for possible measures against Israel, despite opposition from some of Tel Aviv's allies, notably Hungary and Germany.