The European Union will halt its bilateral financial support to Israel due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on Wednesday. According to her statement, all related payments will be suspended as part of a wider package of measures in response to what she described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
Von der Leyen emphasized that the situation in Gaza has “shaken the conscience of the world.” She added that beyond freezing financial support, the European Commission will push forward with sanctions targeting “extremist ministers and violent settlers.” Additionally, the EU is preparing a proposal to partially suspend the Association Agreement that regulates trade between the bloc and Israel.
Earlier, the European Commission had also raised the possibility of excluding Israel from the EU Horizon program, which supports research and innovation, particularly for start-up companies. However, von der Leyen explained that this measure requires approval from a weighted majority of EU member states and has not yet secured sufficient backing. Countries including Germany, Italy, and Hungary remain opposed to the initiative, alongside several other governments.
Despite the lack of consensus, von der Leyen insisted that the EU “cannot afford to be paralyzed” as graphic reports and images emerge from Gaza, showing civilians suffering amid food shortages and bombings. She cited heartbreaking scenes of “mothers holding lifeless babies” and families being killed while searching for food.
According to local reports, more than 64,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the October 2023 Hamas attack. That assault left around 1,200 people dead and approximately 250 taken hostage. Von der Leyen underlined that the unprecedented scale of casualties requires urgent international action and a reevaluation of Europe’s relationship with Israel.
The EU announcement came just one day after Israel faced sharp international criticism for striking a Hamas-controlled compound in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani condemned the strike as an act of “state terrorism” and warned that Doha “reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack.”
Moscow also denounced the strike, describing it as a “gross violation of international law and the UN Charter.” Russian officials warned that such actions risk deepening instability across the Middle East.
Former US President Donald Trump criticized the Israeli action as well, stating that attacking a “sovereign nation and close ally of the United States” does not serve either American or Israeli interests.
Hamas confirmed that its top leadership survived the attack in Qatar. The group claimed that Israel’s strike was a direct attempt to assassinate negotiators working on potential settlement talks. Hamas officials insisted that the failed operation would not derail ongoing political efforts.