EU lays out new tariffs and sanctions on Israel over war in Gaza

The European Union laid out Wednesday its toughest plan yet to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza as Palestinians fled en masse from Israeli tanks, drones and troops pushing deeper into the coastal enclave ravaged by 23 months of war.

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Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, urged the 27 member nations to increase tariffs on some Israeli goods and impose sanctions on 10 Hamas leaders, Israeli settlers, and two members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

“We are proposing this measures not to punish Israel or Israel people, but to really try to pressure Israeli government to change course and to end the human suffering in Gaza,” Kallas said. “The war needs to end, the suffering must stop, and all hostages must be released.”

The sanctions would freeze any of the individuals’ European assets and ban travel within the EU.