Former Ambassadors Call on EU and Member States to Impose Sanctions on Israel

Kokcha News Agency: Ahead of the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich format) scheduled for August 29-30, 206 former ambassadors from EU member states signed a joint letter addressed to EU institutions and the leaders of the 27 member states. The letter highlights Israel’s clear violations of international law in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and criticizes the EU’s silence as a “moral and political failure.”

The letter draws attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of forcibly displacing one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and surrounding areas to the south, with plans for mass deportation to third countries. It cites data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), supported by the United Nations, which on August 22 confirmed that a “man-made famine” is now occurring in southern Gaza, with approximately 500,000 people at risk of starvation, poverty, and death, and 132,000 children facing severe malnutrition.

The letter also details Israel’s actions, including the blockade of humanitarian aid by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and over 100 international NGOs, the killing of more than 2,600 Palestinians since July 28, the deaths of over 60 children due to starvation, and the approval of 3,400 new illegal settlement units in the E1 area, which undermines the two-state solution.

Key Demands in the Letter:

1. Humanitarian Access and Reconstruction Support: The letter calls on EU countries to exert diplomatic pressure to ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. It also urges the EU to lead an independent and transparent initiative for Gaza’s reconstruction.
2. Recognition of the State of Palestine: The letter emphasizes the urgent need for the formal recognition of the State of Palestine as a diplomatic step toward lasting peace and the preservation of the two-state solution.
3. 9-Point Action Plan: The former ambassadors propose a concrete 9-point action plan for EU member states to address Israel’s violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank.

The 9-Point Action Plan Includes:

• Suspending or canceling all arms export licenses to Israel under national export control laws.
• Withdrawing from joint projects with Israeli institutions under EU-funded research programs like Horizon Europe if there is evidence of support for violations of international law.
• Ending cooperation between public universities and research institutions with Israeli entities accused of war crimes.
• Imposing visa bans and asset freezes on Israeli officials based on human rights violations and anti-terrorism laws.
• Implementing temporary import bans on goods and services linked to illegal settlements until an EU-wide ban is established.
• Excluding companies involved in illegal settlements from public tenders, state investments, and national wealth funds.
• Preventing ships and aircraft carrying weapons and ammunition to Israel from using European ports and airspace.
• Prosecuting war crime suspects entering EU territories and cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on arrest warrants and investigations.
• Banning European data centers and digital platforms from collecting, storing, or processing data related to Gaza and occupied territories owned by the Israeli government or commercial entities.