Israel's foreign minister to meet EU officials in Brussels amid Gaza reconstruction talks

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will meet with senior European officials in Brussels on Monday, resuming talks with the EU as the body assesses its role in Gaza rebuilding following last month’s cease-fire agreement.

Saar will co-chair a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council with EU foreign policy leader Kaja Kallas, the first such gathering since 2022, with discussions centred on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israeli-Palestinian ties, and shifting regional dynamics.

“Monday’s Association Council is an important opportunity to reaffirm and strengthen the partnership between Israel and the EU,” Israel’s ambassador to the EU, Haim Regev, told Reuters.

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The Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s response, exposed sharp divisions within the EU. While all members condemned the Hamas attacks, some staunchly defended Israel’s war in Gaza as others condemned Israel’s military campaign and its toll on civilians.

In February 2024, the leaders of Spain and Ireland sent a letter to the European Commission asking for a review of whether Israel was complying with its human rights obligations under the 2000 EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides the basis for political and economic cooperation between the two sides.

But ahead of Monday’s meeting, the bloc’s 27 member countries negotiated a compromise position that praises areas of cooperation with Israel while also raising concerns.

At the meeting, the EU will emphasize both Europe’s commitment to Israel’s security and its view that “displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza”, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

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Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump upset Arab nations and Western allies by proposing the United States “take over” Gaza, permanently displacing its Palestinian inhabitants and creating the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

The war started when Hamas-led militants launched a cross-border attack on Israeli communities that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israel.

The Israeli retaliatory offensive has killed at least 48,000 people, Palestinian health authorities say, leaving some hundreds of thousands of people in makeshift shelters and dependent on aid trucks.