‘Israel to Implement Every Measure’: EU and Israel Agree to Increase Humanitarian Aid to Gaza as it Mulls Punishing Jewish State

Latest Development

Expanding Humanitarian Aid: Israel and the European Union agreed to a deal to provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza, EU political chief Kaja Kallas announced. The deal would require Israel to reopen several crossings in northern and southern Gaza, reopen Jordanian and Egyptian aid routes, increase the amount of daily food, fuel, and other items entering the coastal enclave, repair vital infrastructure, and ensure the protection of aid workers. “We count on Israel to implement every measure agreed,” Kallas said.
GHF Not Part of Deal: Aid delivered under the deal will not go through the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has delivered over 70 million meals to civilians in Gaza since late May while preventing the aid from being hijacked by Hamas. Instead, aid entering as part of the deal will be handled by aid agencies in Gaza and delivered directly to the local population, in addition to bakeries, public kitchens, and humanitarian facilities. Israel has accused Hamas of diverting aid delivered by international aid agencies and selling it to finance their operations, but Kallas assured that there will be measures in place to prevent it. Thirteen aid trucks from the United Arab Emirates arrived in Gaza on July 10 as part of the UAE’s Operation Chivalrous Knight 3.
Options to Punish Israel: The European Union’s diplomatic service presented 10 options for actions that member states could take against Israel, including full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement that governs its trade relations with the Jewish state. Other options include imposing sanctions on Israeli leaders, arms embargoes, halting visa-free travel for Israelis, or banning imports from Israel’s West Bank communities.

FDD Expert Response

“Allowing additional aid into Gaza that is not through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a double-edged sword. Israel and the European Union understand that while sending aid through other outlets may alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, it also risks empowering Hamas and other terrorist factions. The agreement with the European Union is yet another indicator that Israel is moving toward a ceasefire with Hamas, raising the prospect that a permanent end to the war is near.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Punitive European measures targeting Israel are a vindication of Hamas’s strategy of maximizing Palestinian suffering and death to score political points. Rather than rewarding Hamas for its cynical scheme, the Europeans should be supporting Israel’s existing efforts to deliver supplies directly to Palestinians, not allowing Hamas to steal the aid from the people.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst