Italy willing to ‘discuss sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers’

It also reiterated support for a two-state solution and imposing sanctions against violent settlers.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas unveiled plans Wednesday to downgrade trade ties with Israel and sanction top officials because of human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip, marking a major shift in the bloc’s approach to Tel Aviv.

Maros Sefcovic, European commissioner for trade and economic security, said the proposal targets key provisions of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement, including the free movement of goods, services, public procurement, competition and intellectual property.

"In practice, this means that imports from Israel to the EU will lose the preferential access to the EU market, and that these goods will be charged duties at the level applied to any other third countries with whom the EU has no free trade agreement," he said at a news conference in Brussels.

The Commission also announced sanctions on the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, extremist Cabinet ministers of the Israeli government and violent settlers.

The European Council needs to unanimously approve the decision.