EU and Israel to discuss Gaza's future, regional politics

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will meet senior European officials in Brussels on Monday, reviving a dialogue with the European Union as the bloc considers a role in the reconstruction of Gaza following last month's ceasefire deal.

Saar will co-chair a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the first such session since 2022, with talks set to focus on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israeli-Palestinian relations and changing regional dynamics.

"Monday's Association Council is an important opportunity to reaffirm and strengthen the partnership between Israel and the EU," Israel's ambassador to the EU, Haim Regev, told Reuters.

The Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's response, exposed sharp divisions within the EU. While all members condemned the Hamas attacks, some staunchly defended Israel's war in Gaza as others condemned Israel's military campaign and its toll on civilians.

In February 2024, the leaders of Spain and Ireland sent a letter to the European Commission asking for a review of whether Israel was complying with its human rights obligations under the 2000 EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides the basis for political and economic cooperation between the two sides.

But ahead of Monday's meeting, the bloc's 27 member countries negotiated a compromise position that praises areas of cooperation with Israel while also raising concerns.

At the meeting, the EU will emphasize both Europe's commitment to Israel's security and its view that "displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza", according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump upset Arab nations and Western allies by proposing the United States "take over" Gaza, permanently displacing its Palestinian inhabitants and creating the "Riviera of the Middle East".

The war started when Hamas-led militants launched a cross-border attack on Israeli communities that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israel.

The Israeli retaliatory offensive has killed at least 48,000 people, Palestinian health authorities say, leaving some hundreds of thousands of people in makeshift shelters and dependent on aid trucks.