His decision Israel to take control of her city Gauze “It must have consequences for EU-Israel relations,” European Council President Antonio Costa said on Thursday (08.08.2025). As he said, the issue will be raised by EU Member States, while calling on the Israeli government to review its decision.
Costa described the situation in Gaza as a “dramatic”, arguing that the complete withdrawal of control by Israel would do nothing but further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
“This decision not only violates the agreement announced by the High Representative on July 19, but also undermines the fundamental principles of international law and global values,” he said in a report on X.
I strongly urge the Israeli government to reconsider its decision to take over Gaza City. Such an operation — together with the continued illegal expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the massive destruction in Gaza, the blockade of humanitarian aid, and the spread of famine…
– António Costa (@eucopresident) August 8, 2025
A little earlier, and European Commission President Ursula von der Laien had called on Israel to review his plan for Gaza.
At the end of June, the European Commission had already found an Israeli violation of the EU-Israeli connection agreement on respect for human rights and had proposed the suspension of certain European funding to Israeli startups.
However, this proposal has not yet been approved by the 27 Member States, which remain divided into the attitude they have to take against Israel since the start of the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.