WARSAW (Reuters) – European Union foreign ministers did not agree on Monday to suspend political dialogue with Israel, Poland said, following a proposal to do so from the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.
Borrell had written to EU foreign ministers ahead of Monday’s meeting in Brussels, citing “serious concerns about possible breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza”.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Brussels that he and counterparts from other EU states had not agreed to this proposal.
“We know that there are tragic events in Gaza, huge civilian casualties, but we do not forget who started the current cycle of violence,” Sikorski said.
“And I can tell you that there was no agreement on the idea of suspending negotiations with Israel.”
The political dialogue is enshrined in a broader agreement on relations between the EU and Israel, including extensive trade ties, that entered into force in June 2000.
A suspension would have needed approval from all 27 EU countries.
The EU has struggled to find a strong united position on the Gaza war, which was triggered by attacks by Hamas Palestinian militants on Israel on Oct. 7 last year.
The bloc has called on Hamas to release all Israeli hostages and on both sides to respect international law.
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