The European Commission proposed sanctions against Israel, including trade restrictions and targeting extremist ministers, as its strongest response to the Gaza war. These measures, though impacting Israeli goods' access to EU markets, face significant hurdles due to opposition from key member states like Germany and Italy. While suspending bilateral support to the Israeli government is immediate, the broader trade restrictions require unanimous approval, deemed unlikely. Israel has rejected the proposals as distorted and warned of reciprocal action.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.