Amnesty International has strongly denounced the European Union’s continued cooperation with Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza as being in violation of human rights and international law, calling this behavior cruel and unlawful.
On Tuesday, the global human rights watchdog issued a strongly worded statement accusing European Union leaders of prioritizing political expediency and economic interests over accountability, despite mounting evidence of potential war crimes and human rights abuses in occupied Palestinian territory.
“For the European Union (EU) to maintain normal diplomatic and trade relations with Israel while atrocities in Gaza continue is morally indefensible as well as legally unacceptable,” according to Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. She believes reluctance among EU governments to consider suspending cooperation amounts to complicity in an attack campaign designed to cause suffering and destruction.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza have drawn increasing international criticism for leading to widespread civilian casualties, destruction of critical infrastructure and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians – yet Israel claims they are targeted responses against Hamas rocket attacks or threats posed by other militant groups such as Hezbollah or other militant organizations.
Amnesty’s findings – derived from field research, satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts – allege repeated violations of international humanitarian law such as indiscriminate airstrikes, collective punishment and restrictions on aid delivery. They call for an immediate arms embargo against Israel as well as independent investigations into possible war crimes.
Even amid these calls for harsh punitive measures from Europe, however, no definitive actions were taken by this bloc against Israel. While several member states expressed deep concern and called for restraint from other member states, overall the bloc continued existing scientific, security, and trade partnerships with them under existing agreements such as E.U.-Israel Association Agreement with human rights clauses included.
“This decision constitutes an outrage to Palestinian civilians as well as to Europe’s own legal framework,” Amnesty stated. By failing to activate human rights mechanisms outlined in its treaties, the EU undermines its credibility and weakens global rule of law.
E.U. parliamentarians and human rights advocates shared Amnesty’s outrage, calling for an immediate review of all bilateral cooperation with Israel. Irish MEP Clare Daly noted the necessity of being consistent with our human rights policies: “Consistency must be maintained throughout.”
Israel has denounced Amnesty’s accusations as being one-sided and biased, calling their statement from the Foreign Ministry misleading as they ignore Hamas’ use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes and its constant threats of terror attacks against Israeli citizens.
Amnesty’s statement has not received a direct reply from the European Commission; instead, they have reiterated their stance supporting a two-state solution and committed to protecting civilians while guaranteeing humanitarian access.
As the conflict drags on without any end in sight, pressure on E.U. institutions to reevaluate their roles and responsibilities has grown steadily. Amnesty International’s sharp rebuke may mark a watershed moment in public discourse by raising urgent questions about how the EU balances geopolitical alliances with its fundamental values.