BRUSSELS: Nine European Union countries have called on the European Commission to come up with proposals on how to discontinue EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.
The letter, addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was signed by foreign ministers from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner, accounting about a third of its total goods trade. Two-way goods trade between the bloc and Israel stood at 42.6 billion euros ($48.91 billion) last year, though it was unclear how much of that trade involved settlements.
The ministers pointed to a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which said Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal. It said states should take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that help maintain the situation.
“We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements,” the ministers wrote.
“We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court,” they added.
Israel’s diplomatic mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Europe must ensure trade policy is in line with international law.
“Trade cannot be disconnected from our legal and moral responsibilities,” the minister said in a statement to Reuters.
“This is about ensuring that EU policies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of an illegal situation,” he said.
The ministers’ letter comes ahead of a meeting in Brussels on June 23 where EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc’s relationship with Israel.
Ministers are expected to receive an assessment on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in a pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, after the bloc decided to review Israel’s adherence to the agreement due to the situation in Gaza.
EU countries seek ban on trade with illegal zones of Israel
https://arab.news/9rtx8
EU countries seek ban on trade with illegal zones of Israel
- Bloc set to discuss relations with Israel next week
- ICJ says countries’ trade should not support settlements
UN expert decries detention of Pakistan ex-PM Khan’s wife
- “The state has an obligation to protect Mrs. Khan’s health and ensure conditions of detention compatible with human dignity,” Edwards said in a statement
GENEVA: The wife of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan is being held in conditions that could pose a serious risk to her physical and mental health, a UN expert warned Wednesday.
Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, urged the Pakistani authorities to take immediate action to address the situation.
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were convicted of graft in January, and they were sentenced to 14 years and seven years in prison, respectively.
And on Saturday, a Pakistani court sentenced them to 17 years for corruption involving gifts the jailed ex-premier received while in office.
Both Khan and Bibi were handed a 10-year prison sentence on criminal breach of trust, and seven years on corruption charges in a case alleging the underpricing of state gifts.
“The state has an obligation to protect Mrs. Khan’s health and ensure conditions of detention compatible with human dignity,” Edwards said in a statement.
Bibi is reportedly confined to a small and dirty cell which is often dark due to power cuts, said Edwards.
“Such conditions fall far below minimum international standards,” said Edwards.
“No detainee should be exposed to extreme heat, contaminated food or water, or conditions that aggravate existing medical conditions.”
Reports also indicate that she is often in near-total isolation for more than 22 hours a day.
“The authorities must ensure Mrs. Khan has the possibility to communicate with her lawyers and receive visits from family members, and have meaningful human contact throughout her detention,” Edwards said.
The special rapporteur has formally raised Bibi’s situation with the government in Islamabad.
UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council. They do not speak for the United Nations itself.
Earlier this month, Edwards said Khan was being held in conditions that could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.
She urged the Pakistani authorities to ensure that the 73-year-old’s conditions of detention fully complied with international norms.
Khan, who captained Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, upended Pakistani politics by becoming the prime minister in 2018.
He was ousted in 2022 by a no-confidence vote after losing favor with the military.
The former cricket star has been held in custody since August 2023, charged in dozens of cases that he claims are politically motivated.
