EU Steps Up Pressure on Israel Over Gaza Conflict

The EU is Israel's largest trading partner, accounting for a third of its total trade in goods, according to data by the European Commission

- Bloomberg

GAZA CITY: European and UK officials ratcheted up pressure on Israel over its decision to deepen the military incursion in Gaza, expanding the international outcry over the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the EU should use diplomatic measures and possibly even sanctions to persuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the assault. He joined officials from other member countries pushing for a review of whether Israel is violating human-rights provisions in the agreement that governs Israel's relations with the trading block.

"The time for words has ended, we need to act," Albares said in an interview. "A new Israeli military operation in Gaza makes no sense except to turn Gaza into a graveyard and that's something the international community cannot allow."