EU review ‘paints grim picture’ of Israel’s actions in Gaza, Taoiseach says

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

An EU review “paints a grim picture” of Israel’s failure to adhere to international obligations, Micheál Martin has said.

The Taoiseach said the report highlights the restriction of food and medicines into Gaza, which he said “amounts to the use of starvation as a method of war”.

The EU-Israel Association Agreement is being reviewed after a dozen EU member states backed it last month.

The unpublished report has found that there are “indications” Israel could be in breach of its human rights obligations under the agreement, according to several media outlets.

Reacting on Saturday, Mr Martin welcomed the “substantive and important” report on Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel deal.

He said Ireland had “long argued” that clauses on human rights in the EU’s international agreement “have to be respected” and should prompt “serious consequences” when they are not.

Back in February 2024, Ireland and Spain jointly called for an urgent review of whether Israel had breached its human rights obligations in the trade agreement.

A majority of EU countries did not back the review until last month, prompted by a proposal from The Netherlands.

The shift came amid Israel’s months-long blockade of Gaza, which has accelerated fears of a famine. A new Israeli and US-backed aid system has been marred by violence.

Israel’s 20-month military campaign in the the Palestinian enclave has killed an estimated 55,000 people and injured thousands more, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Mr Martin said: “I very much welcome the substantive and important report of the EU’s High Representative for Human Rights on Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

“Bringing together the reports and analysis of serious, credible and reliable sources – including the International Court of Justice, the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and others – it paints a clear and grim picture of a sustained and deliberate failure by Israel to adhere to its international obligations, especially in Gaza but also in the West Bank.

“It highlights a continued restriction of food, medicines, medical equipment, and other vital supplies into Gaza that amount to collective punishment of the civilian population, that amounts to the use of starvation as a method of war.

“It describes an unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians in Gaza resulting from indiscriminate attacks without proportion or precaution, as well as attacks on hospitals, forced mass displacements and the killing of journalists. All of this with a persistent lack of accountability.

“In the West Bank, it reports sustained oppression of the Palestinian population, including through state and settler violence, the appropriation of land, and the use of detention as a form of collective punishment.”

He added: “We will now work with partners to follow up on this important report with concrete steps, and I will be discussing it with my colleagues in the European Council when we meet next week.”