Doha: Sweden on Thursday called on the EU to suspend the trade part of its association agreement with Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza. In a post on X platform, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed deep concern, stating that the situation in Gaza is absolutely appalling, and Israel is failing to fulfill its most basic obligations and agreements on emergency aid. He emphasized Sweden's demand for the EU to freeze the trade section of the association agreement as soon as possible.

According to Qatar News Agency, Kristersson also appealed to the Israeli government to permit unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza, underscoring the urgent need for an immediate response to the humanitarian crisis. Furthermore, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp indicated that the Netherlands would advocate for the suspension of the trade element of the EU-Israel Association Agreement should Israel not meet its humanitarian obligations.

An EU report, presented to the 27 member states at the end of June, highlighted concerns that Israel may have fallen short of its human rights obligations under its EU cooperation agreement. This report further fuels the calls from Sweden and other EU members for decisive action regarding the ongoing situation in Gaza.