Tehran – The ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza has sparked a considerable political response from European Union lawmakers. However, the response between the EU and the West remains disjointed, slow and grossly weak.
According to a July 29 Euronows report, a group of 40 cross-party MEPs are calling for EU sanctions against Israel, particularly the suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement and increased sanctions for “cruelty” and serious humanitarian crimes committed in Gaza.
I look for Israel’s condemnation and accountability
The coalition denies Israel of “blatantly violating the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law,” urging Hamas to release Israeli prisoners of war.
They say, “Future generations will judge today’s leaders about their reaction to Gaza’s atrocities, or their lack thereof. Not acting now is remembered as a moral stain on humanity, “the time of moral coronavirus is over, and action must be swift,” and “swift’s mere words are inappropriate.”
However, this inspiring political statement is in stark contrast to the institutional inertia and division that can be seen within the EU. As of July 30, 2025, EU countries were unable to reach a consensus on suspending access to Israel’s Horizon European Studies Programme. This is a move proposed by the European Commission as the first step to approve Israel for its role in creating conditions of hunger through the Gaza shutdown.
Some countries, particularly Germany, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic, have blocked or delayed critical actions towards a halt, reflecting a deep political line of obstacles that undermine a unified response. Such semi-measures emphasize their reluctance to put full political and economic pressure on the EU despite increasing evidence of massive starvation and civilian deaths.
The tragic humanitarian reality behind political he
Humanitarian reality is miserable. Non-supporting organizations report that more than 1,060 Palestinians were killed between late May and July in an attempt to access food aid, with child malnutrition rates almost four times the rate in Gaza’s besieged population.
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly described starvation and shortages of medical supplies as catastrophic, warning that without immediate and unhindered humanitarian access, hunger will deepen and death tolls will rise.
The European Commission’s limited proposal aims to limit Israeli startups’ access to accelerator grants in Horizon Europe.
Meanwhile, the EU continues to support its preferential transaction status and limited cooperation agreements with Israel despite a clear violation of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on human rights.
Frustration and decisive response are required
Critics within the European Parliament have expressed deep frustration with this paralysis. MEP Evin Incir said, “Our concerns are directed at both the European Commission and the EU member states, and we need to make it more critical to respond to the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding.”
However, attempting to impose concrete sanctions reveals political calculations that prioritize economic interests, diplomatic considerations, and internal divisions to urgent humanitarian needs and legal obligations. This delay amounts to complicity through silence and inaction in the face of an escalation of starvation, death, and destruction.
This hesitation reflects the Western government beyond the EU. The UK and some allies have taken limited measures, such as a travel ban on far-right Israeli ministers, but most Western governments have established themselves in prudent rhetoric, calling for ceasefires and delivery of aid without seeking enforceable sanctions or accountability.
This approach is in stark contrast to urgent warnings from humanitarian organisations describing the crisis as “inhuman and completely preventable” when access to aid is granted.
Risks to moral bankruptcy and international credibility
International organizations are examples of paralysis textbooks. Despite repeated statements condemning civilian death and hunger, binding actions are frequently blocked or despised, with organizations like the UN Security Council blocking the enforcement of international law or putting pure pressure on Israel to lift the lockdown completely.
The slow EU move to not exploiting the truly powerful means of symbolic sanctions, internal divisions, and economic pressures stands in a deep moral contrast between rhetoric surrounding human rights and international justice.
As the Cross-Party MEP statement strongly states, the world is facing “moral staining” by continuing silence and omissions, but Gaza’s population is exposed to hunger and increased death toll.
There is no solution to this humanitarian disaster, and the position of the EU, its states, Western governments, and international actors of the advocates of international law and human dignity exceeds restoration unless decisive, serious, and joint action is carried out promptly.