Albares welcomes sanctions against settlers and Hamas but insists on suspension of the Association Agreement

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares welcomed on Monday the decision by his EU counterparts to sanction violent settlers and Hamas, but warned that “the situation in Gaza and the West Bank is unacceptable” and, therefore, “the Association Agreement must be suspended as long as it remains this way.” The EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) expressed on Monday in Brussels its “deep concern” about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the stalled implementation of the peace plan under UN Security Council Resolution 2803, and reiterated “the need to guarantee access for humanitarian aid.” The ministers also stressed the importance of contributing to the swift recovery of Gaza and supporting the Palestinian Authority's reform efforts. They addressed the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, with increased violence and settlement expansion, and the recent measures taken by the Israeli government. In this context, and taking into account the conclusions of the European Council in March and the debates of the Foreign Affairs Council in April, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Council, Kaja Kallas, announced at the subsequent press conference that a political agreement had been reached among the ministers to impose targeted sanctions against extremist settlers and entities supporting settlements in the West Bank, and to adopt additional restrictive measures against key Hamas leaders. The Foreign Affairs Council also discussed additional policy options, such as adopting trade measures related to imports of products from the settlements. “We have overcome the political stalemate that had dragged on for so long. Violence and extremism have consequences,” declared Kaja Kallas at the subsequent press conference. Following the announcement of these measures, Albares wrote on social media that “it is positive that the EU is sanctioning violent settlers and Hamas,” but “the situation in Gaza and the West Bank is unacceptable” and, therefore, it is necessary “to suspend the Association Agreement while it continues.” “Let us not allow the violation of international law and the obstruction of the two-state solution,” he concluded. “Too much time talking about measures” At the FAC meeting on April 21, the foreign ministers of Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland reiterated their call for the suspension of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel, arguing that Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime is violating Article 2 of the agreement, which states that “relations between the Parties, as well as all provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.” Ultimately, the ministers failed to reach an agreement on suspending the Agreement, which requires unanimity among the 27 member states. In September 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a proposal to suspend certain provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, such as the chapter on establishing a free trade area between the two parties. Kaja Kallas herself reiterated before the last FAC meeting that suspending the entire Agreement would require a unanimous position, while suspending the trade pillar would only require a qualified majority. In this regard, Albares warned on Monday, upon arriving at the FAC meeting, that “there are a number of measures that do not even require the European Union to suspend the Association Agreement, because they simply involve complying with advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice.” “There are very concrete things, such as prohibiting, as Spain has done, trade in products originating from the occupied territories, sanctions against violent settlers, and sanctions against the illegal expansion of settlements in the West Bank, to name just a few that are simply compliance with international law,” he continued. “I also think we’ve been talking about measures for far too long,” he lamented. For this reason, Albares demanded that the 27 member states put to a vote “the part that simply requires a qualified majority, the trade part.” “Let’s see how many of us agree and how many don’t,” because “it’s not enough to simply not bring the decisions to the table or to vaguely claim that a qualified majority isn’t there: the best way to determine whether or not there is a qualified majority is to hold a vote,” he insisted.

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