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A civil petition calling for the total suspension of the EU–Israel Association Agreement for alleged war crimes has reached one million signatures across all 27 member states.
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Under EU rules, the European Commission and the European Parliament must now assess the request. This comes as the northern Gaza Strip continues to be hit by occasional Israeli strikes, despite a ceasefire with Hamas that took effect last October.
According to the initiative’s text, the State of Israel is responsible for “an unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians, large-scale displacement of the population, and the systematic destruction of hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza”.
It also cites Israel’s “breach of multiple rules and obligations under international law” and its failure “to prevent the crime of genocide as ordered by the International Court of Justice” as grounds for suspending the agreement.
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) was launched by the European Left Alliance (ELA), alongside civil society organisations and pro-Palestinian movements.Promoters want to reach 1.5 billion signatures before ending the collection. National authorities will then have three months to verify the signatures, after which the initiative can be formally submitted.
The European Commission will then be required to outline any action it intends to take in response, or explain why it will not act. The European Parliament must hold a hearing with the organisers and may also debate and vote on a resolution.
However, the initiative appears unlikely to gain traction.
The EU–Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000, underpins political dialogue and economic cooperation. The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, with total trade in goods reaching €42.6 billion in 2024.
In September 2025, as Israel’s offensive in Gaza continued, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a partial suspension of the agreement, citing a “man-made famine” and “a clear attempt to undermine the two-state solution”.
The proposal has since stalled, with member states deeply divided. Countries including Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic have opposed the move, preventing the formation of a qualified majority needed to adopt trade restrictions.
Diplomats told Euronews that, in recent meetings, several member states have reiterated their reluctance to move forward.
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