Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Thursday that Europe has a ‘moral duty to save lives in Gaza’ and that the situation there is a ‘catastrophic situation of genocide’.
He was speaking to reporters before and after participating in a European Council meeting in Brussels, in which the heads of state and government of the 27 member states discussed the current political priorities of the European Union.
The meeting focused on the escalation of violence in the Middle East, the state of the war in Ukraine, the outlook for European security and defence in light of the outcome of the NATO summit held on Wednesday, and other geo-economic challenges facing the EU, such as the potential trade war tariffs with the United States. ALSO READ: NATO leaders agree to increase spending and reiterate ‘ironclad commitment’ to collective defence.
Israel and Gaza
Speaking to reporters before the Brussels summit, Sánchez mentioned a recent human rights report by the bloc’s diplomatic service which, he said, addressed ‘the catastrophic situation of genocide unfolding in Gaza’, and he urged the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel. ALSO READ: Spain asks EU to suspend association agreement with Israel, citing human rights concerns.
The comments represent the strongest condemnation to date by the socialist leader, an outspoken critic of the Israeli offensive in Gaza sparked by Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel. ALSO READ: Spain to present resolution at UN General Assembly to ‘stop killing’ in Gaza.
The report published last week that Sánchez was referring to had found ‘indications’ that Israel was breaching its human rights obligations under the deal, which forms the basis for trade ties.
The text cited Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory, the high number of civilian casualties, attacks on journalists and the massive displacement and destruction caused by the war.
Sánchez said it was ‘more than obvious’ that Israel was violating its obligations and that the bloc should suspend the cooperation deal ‘immediately’.
‘It makes no sense’ that the bloc has imposed 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, he said, but ‘in a double standard, is not even capable of suspending an association deal’.
Speaking after the Brussels summit to reporters, Sánchez also said: ‘What is happening in Gaza is equivalent to an open-air hell, and we cannot allow the situation to continue to deteriorate.’
‘We have mechanisms, there are levers of pressure to force the Israeli government to cease this catastrophe we are experiencing,’ he continued. ‘We have a moral duty to save lives in Gaza and the West Bank and to make the two-state solution a reality, which is the only viable option for guaranteeing peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine.’ ALSO READ: Spain, Ireland & Norway recognise Palestinian state.
In a statement following the summit, EU leaders said that they deplored ‘the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation’, and called ‘on Israel to fully lift its blockade’.
They also said that their European Council ‘takes note’ of a report saying that there are signs that Israel’s actions in Gaza are violating human rights obligations in an agreement governing EU-Israel ties.
The EU’s foreign ministers will discuss the issue again at their next meeting on 15 July. Suspending ties, including on trade, would require a unanimous decision, which is likely impossible to obtain from staunch backers of Israel like Austria, Germany and Hungary.
The head of the main Greens party group in the European Parliament, Bas Eickhout, said that ‘the EU is losing all credibility in light of the devastating conflicts raging in the Middle East’, and insisted that the Association Agreement must be suspended.
Ukraine-Russia War
European Union leaders on Thursday also urged for even stronger efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent military requirements and reiterated their support for the country’s aspirations to join the EU. However, progress on introducing new sanctions against Russia remained limited.
The leaders stressed the importance of delivering additional ‘air defence and anti-drone systems, and large-caliber ammunition, to help Ukraine, as it exercises its inherent right to self-defence, to protect its citizens and territory against Russia’s intensified daily attacks’. ALSO READ: Western leaders visit Ukraine to show their support on war’s 3rd anniversary.
They also stressed the need to bolster Ukraine’s defence manufacturing capabilities, which can produce weapons and ammunition faster and more affordably than many European defence industries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the summit remotely via videolink.
On the battlefield, Russian forces have made gradual advances along parts of the approximately 1,000 km front line. These gains have come at a significant cost in terms of soldiers and military equipment. Ukraine’s smaller military force has leaned heavily on drone technology to resist Russian advances.
Efforts led by the US and its allies to bring an end to the conflict — now stretching beyond three years — have so far not succeeded. Despite the on-going war, both nations have continued to engage in prisoner swaps.
The EU leaders reiterated that the bloc ‘remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine’s path towards EU membership’. This commitment came just one day after NATO leaders chose not to include any mention of Ukraine’s membership ambitions in their joint statement, largely due to US opposition.
While the EU continues working on another package of sanctions targeting Russia, discussions at the summit produced little concrete progress. One key focus is to tighten restrictions on Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers, which continues generating revenue for Moscow’s war machine.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the EU has imposed numerous rounds of sanctions. These measures have targeted more than 2,400 individuals and entities, including government bodies, banks, and organisations.
The summit’s declaration regarding Ukraine was endorsed by 26 of the 27 EU members. Hungary withheld its support, consistent with its previous stance. Speaking at the NATO summit a day earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had also said: ‘NATO has no business in Ukraine. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, neither Russia. My job is to keep it as it is.’
Trade Talks
During the summit, European leaders were also briefed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the on-going trade negotiations with the United States. These talks aim to avert the threat posed by President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on European exports to the US. ALSO READ: Trump and Von der Leyen agree 9 July deadline to reach US-EU tariff deal after 50% threat.
Von der Leyen reported at a post-summit press conference that she and Trump had agreed during the G7 meeting ‘to speed up the work’ ahead of the looming 9 July deadline. Trump had initially proposed a 20% tariff and later suggested escalating it to 50% due to his dissatisfaction with the negotiations’ progress. These potential tariffs would come on top of existing levies — 25% on cars and 50% on steel from all countries — posing a significant threat to the EU’s automobile sector.
She confirmed that Europe had received a fresh proposal from Washington and was currently reviewing it. Von der Leyen said that while the Commission, which manages trade policy on behalf of the 27 member states, preferred to secure an agreement, it was simultaneously preparing a retaliatory tariff list against US goods in the event negotiations fail. ALSO READ: From motorbikes to beauty products: EU announces first tariffs to hit back at US.
‘We are ready for a deal,’ she said. ‘At the same time, we are preparing for the possibility that no satisfactory agreement is reached, this is why we consulted on a rebalancing list and we will defend the European interest as needed, in short, all options remain on the table.’
Trump has dismissed the EU’s offer of eliminating tariffs on industrial goods, including vehicles, while the EU has pushed back against proposed changes to its digital regulations and its system of value-added taxes. Economists argue that VAT is trade-neutral since it applies equally to domestic and imported goods.
ALSO READ: Trump now threatens Spain with trade war: ‘We’re going to make them pay double’.
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Ante la violación constante de derechos humanos de Israel, Europa debe actuar.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) June 26, 2025
Hoy defenderé en Bruselas que Europa suspenda inmediatamente el Acuerdo de Asociación con Israel. pic.twitter.com/iYLaAkS9Ag
Hemos condenado los atentados de Hamás y hemos exigido la liberación de los rehenes desde el primer día.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) June 26, 2025
Pero, con la misma determinación, tenemos que decirle al gobierno del primer ministro Netanyahu: basta ya.
Tenemos la obligación moral de salvar vidas en Gaza y Cisjordania. pic.twitter.com/gB2UbH9sYT
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