EU document shows flimsy nature of Israel aid deal

Last week, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas announced a deal with Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where 2 million Palestinians were starving under a blockade imposed by Israel.

The measures included a “substantial increase” of daily trucks for food and non-food aid entering Gaza, the opening of crossing points Zikim, Netzarim, and Kisufim, the reopening of the Jordanian and Egyptian aid routes, enabling the distribution of food supplies throughout the Strip, and the resumption of fuel deliveries. 

But the European Union doesn’t have any presence on the ground, making it rely on Egyptian and Jordanian authorities and UN bodies for monitoring, EUobserver has learned. 

And any monitoring by UN bodies, especially UNRWA, its Palestinian aid branch, is being rejected by Israel. 

“We are now focusing on implementation and monitoring … we are in talks so that we can have a way to jointly assess progress,” said an internal EU document seen by EUobserver, which contained details of the accord.

“This agreement is a start and it serves as a basis to work on the next set of challenges,” also said the document, which was prepared by the EU’s external action service, and which is published in full below.

The deal is the result of talks between Kallas and Israeli foreign affairs minister Gideon Sa’ar, who was in Brussels earlier this week, after a lobbying trip to Berlin and Bratislava to avoid EU sanctions. 

The EU aid deal also comes after Kallas presented EU foreign affairs ministers with a report in June, which concluded that Israel had violated Article 2 on human rights compliance of the EU-Israel association agreement, which governed bilateral trade.

In her report, Kallas corroborated UN allegations that Israel was guilty of "indiscriminate attacks ... starvation ... torture ... [and] apartheid”. 

The Gaza aid deal was originally called an “agreement with Israel to expand humanitarian access” in Kallas’ statement on 10 July. 

But a week later, her office had rebranded it as an “understanding” between the parties.

The focus on terminology may seem pedantic, but details matter in diplomacy.

When officials talk about an “agreement,” it is often related to a binding or signed document that can be monitored and enforced. 

In general, “agreements” are stronger and lead to more transparency and accountability. 

But “understandings” leave room for ambiguity, implying a desire to avoid full diplomatic, official, or legal recognition of the accord. 

“The EU gave Israel a green light to continue the Gaza genocide … in exchange for verbal commitments from Israeli officials to allow breadcrumbs and bandages and without any means of being able to monitor the implementation or enforce these commitments,” said Hussein Baumi from Amnesty International.

“The EU and member states have legal and moral obligations to suspend the association agreement with Israel,” he also said.

But there is no EU common position over which steps to take, as seen in the foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels last Tuesday.

Spain and Slovenia had pushed for an arms embargo and the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement, but both measures would have required unanimous approval, while Hungary and Germany stood opposed to either move. 

France and Luxembourg had advocated further targeted sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank. 

But Hungary also opposed this move, which likewise needed a consensus. 

‘Worse than ever’

Meanwhile, the European Union has said the situation on the ground in Gaza was improving thanks to Kallas’ diplomacy.

The EU linked the improvements to the resumption of the Egyptian and Jordanian aid routes and the opening of the Zikim crossing point in northern Gaza since 7 July.

The improvements also included the entry of 80 aid trucks on one day into Gaza and the resumption of fuel deliveries, EUobserver has learned.

But despite the reported increase in the number of trucks entering the strip, much of the food was still not reaching those people who needed it, as most of the aid was being stolen, given the lack of security for humanitarian workers.

UN and experts on the ground also painted a much darker picture than Kallas, saying there was ongoing killing of Palestinians, obstacles to food distribution, starvation, and shortages of critically important fuel.

On 12 July, two days after the EU-Israel deal was announced, Israel also reimposed a ban on all swimming and fishing activities on the Gaza coastline.

The UN said that food cargo collection from the Zikim crossing resumed on 11 and 12 July after a pause since 26 June. 

They said 20 trucks were offloaded on 12 July, but cargo collection had paused again since 13 July.

And fuel was so limited that this threatened the continued operation of lifesaving services, such as hospitals or community kitchens, according to the latest UN update.

“The situation is worse than I’ve ever seen it,” said Carl Skau from the UN World Food Programme last Friday during a briefing to journalists, adding that “starvation is spreading,” with 500,000 people facing life-threatening levels of malnutrition and 90,000 children in need of medical treatment due to lack of nutrients.

“Not a single aid truck entered. Starving civilians didn’t ration the little food they had, trusting EU promises that more would arrive. Black market dealers and opportunists hoarded what little remained, anticipating shortages,” also said Ramy Abdu, the chairman of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, who was living in Gaza, on Friday (18 July).

The EU has also rejected any cooperation with the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US contractor brought in by Israel to distribute aid following its dismantling of the UN system.

EU ambassadors in Brussels were to be briefed every two weeks on the developments on the ground by Kallas’ staff, with the next briefing to take place on Wednesday (23 July). 

EU foreign affairs ministers will revisit the issue during their informal ‘Gymnich’ meeting in August, but no new decisions on Israel relations are likely to be taken before October, when ministers next hold formal talks.

When reached out to by EUobserver, the Israeli mission to the EU said it was unable to answer questions in time for publication. 

Israel has killed over 58,000 people in Gaza, including about 18,000 children, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 civilians and taking some 250 hostages.

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