Kallas pushes for Israel agreement review, faces EU division

The European Union is facing internal division after its foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, announced plans to review the bloc’s association agreement with Israel due to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, Kallas described the situation as "catastrophic" and said a “strong majority” of member states supported re-examining the pact.

Seventeen out of the EU’s 27 countries backed the proposal, which originated from Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.

The review will assess whether Israel is upholding the human rights clause embedded in the agreement—a move that reflects growing international frustration with the flow of aid into Gaza amid Israel’s renewed military operations.

"The aid that Israel has allowed in is of course welcomed, but it's a drop in the ocean," Kallas stated. "Aid must flow immediately, without obstruction and at scale, because this is what is needed."

However, this stance has drawn criticism from several quarters. Some EU member states do not support the proposed review, highlighting the deep divisions within the bloc over how to respond to the ongoing conflict.

Israeli Response: Misguided and One-Sided

Israeli officials strongly rejected the initiative, calling it both “morally condemnable” and dangerously short-sighted. “The military operation in Gaza is not aimed at starving or targeting civilians,” said Israel’s Foreign Minister. “It is focused on neutralizing terrorist groups such as Hamas and securing the release of hostages held by those groups.”

The minister further warned that "ignoring these realities and criticising Israel only hardens Hamas’s position and encourages the group to stick to its guns."

While Kallas pushed for a more critical stance toward Israel, many EU countries disagreed with her approach, reflecting a lack of consensus.

These nations argue that the EU must acknowledge the complexity of the situation and the legitimate security concerns Israel faces, rather than taking a one-sided view that could unintentionally embolden extremist groups.

As diplomatic tensions rise within the EU, the question remains whether the bloc can maintain a unified position on a conflict that continues to polarize opinions not only in Europe, but across the world.