Middle East crisis dominates EU foreign ministers’ Brussels meeting

The foreign ministers of EU member states on Monday were set to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East at their June meeting in Brussels.

The talks come amid growing international alarm after the United States joined Israel in launching strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

A key question for the ministers will be whether Europe can help steer the crisis back towards diplomacy.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Sunday urged all sides “to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” in a statement posted on X.

Another item on the agenda is an internal EU review concluding that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip are not in line with the principles established for its close cooperation with the European Union.

The report, requested by EU foreign ministers in May, questioned whether Israel was still adhering to the basic principles of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

These include that relations between the parties to the agreement are based on respect for human rights.

The finding relates, in particular, to Israel’s blockade of aid supplies into the Gaza Strip, where some 2 million Palestinians live.

Israel had blocked aid from reaching the devastated coastal territory for almost three months, saying that the Palestinian extremist organisation Hamas was benefiting from the supplies.

The governments of the EU member states and the EU now face the question of whether and how to respond to the analysis, options range from suspending the current partnership agreement to imposing economic sanctions.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who is expected to attend the talks in Brussels, was among those who opposed initiating the review.

The German government argues that maintaining open channels of communication with Israel is essential.