An investigation into Israel's actions in the war is being conducted under the EU's foreign service, in order to see if it is in line with the union's cooperation agreement with Israel. From the association agreement, it appears that the relationship should be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.
The situation in Gaza is of course completely unacceptable, says António Costa according to the news site Politico, whereupon he mentions that an investigation is underway.
But if you look at TV and read the newspapers, I don't think it's very difficult to predict what conclusions they will reach.
The investigation was a requirement from 17 of the EU's member states on the initiative of the Netherlands. The investigators will report their conclusions at a foreign ministers' meeting on June 23. Four anonymous diplomatic sources tell Politico that the EU Commission is becoming increasingly pressured to act and distance the EU from Israel if the country is considered to be violating basic agreements.
Even countries that traditionally support Israel, such as Germany, have begun to express criticism of the destruction and suffering caused to civilians in Gaza.
The positions are clearly changing and it creates a dynamics where there can be more opportunities to act, says one of the sources.
