SPACE/COSMOS

France becomes biggest shareholder in Eutelsat, EU rival to Musk's Starlink

France on Thursday became the biggest shareholder in satellite company Eutelsat, which is widely regarded as a potential European rival to Elon Musk's Starlink. France chose to act now to avoid depending on "other powers" in the future, said President Emmanuel Macron.


Issued on: 19/06/2025 - 
By: FRANCE 24

A photograph showing the Eutelsat's logo displayed on its headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, southwest of Paris, on June 19, 2025. © Martin Lelievre, AFP


The French state is set to become Eutelsat's biggest shareholder following a 1.35 billion-euro ($1.55 billion) investment that the financial ministry said will help the satellite company compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.

Debt-laden Eutelsat has garnered unprecedented attention this year from European governments seeking alternatives to reliance on US satellite companies.

"The race is on. That's why we have to take a position now and invest now. Otherwise, the whole market will be occupied and France and Europe will depend on other powers in future," Macron's office told AFP.

The 717 million-euro capital injection by the French state, which was part of an overall deal with other investors worth 1.35 billion euros, will make Paris Eutelsat's largest shareholder, raising its stake from 13 percent to just under 30 percent.


The announcement comes as competition heats up in the satellite communications sector, where Elon Musk's Starlink is a dominant player, but some governments would prefer sovereign solutions.

Eutelsat boasts more than 600 satellites since merging with British firm OneWeb in 2023, making it the world's second-largest operator of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, behind Starlink, and the obvious candidate as a European champion.

The company has in the past called itself "the only LEO alternative to Starlink".

"Eutelsat is a strategic asset contributing to European strategic autonomy," French Finance Minister Éric Lombard's office said.

But it remains far smaller than the American heavyweight, which has 6,000 satellites lofted into orbit by Musk's comparatively cheap, reusable SpaceX rockets.

Set to be completed by the end of this year, the capital increase is "a pivotal step in Eutelsat's strategic and financing roadmap, enabling the execution of its strategic vision", it said.

The new investment will fund a renewal of Eutelsat's satellite fleet and improve its financial situation, including through a debt restructuring.

Eutelsat is also gearing up to contribute to the Iris² network of European satellites in multiple orbits, supposed to offer communication services from 2030.
Rush for connectivity

"The war in Ukraine has shown the importance of space infrastructure for resilient communications infrastructure, whether civilian or military," Lombard's office said.

"It has also spotlighted Europe's dependence on non-European technology."

Musk has called Starlink the "backbone" of the Ukrainian army because of its wide use defending against Russia's invasion since 2022 – and warned that "their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off", sending Europeans scrambling for alternatives.

Eutelsat had already this week signed a 10-year, billion-euro deal at the Paris Air Show to provide military communications for the French armed forces.

And presenting its latest quarterly results last month, the firm said it was in active sales talks with governments both inside and outside Europe.

Major shareholders stumping up money alongside Paris are shipping giant CMA CGM, Indian telecoms operator Bharti Airtel and the FSP investment fund, owned by seven French insurance companies.

The two-stage plan includes a "reserved" capital increase open only to the four named investors, with a second round open to others.

"Discussions are ongoing" with other investors including the British government, "which could join the capital raise in due course", Eutelsat said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

British surgeon says witnessed ‘indiscriminate bombing of the entire population’ in Gaza

19/06/2025 - 
09:17 min
From the show

A British surgeon who has been traveling to and from Gaza to provide medical aid has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her frustration that the situation there is not fully recognised globally. Doctor Victoria Rose has completed several block stints in hospitals in Gaza, working to save lives. She says that what she witnessed is often suppressed or dismissed as fake news, but in reality, she has seen the indiscriminate bombing of the entire population. She spoke to us in Perspective.

By: Stuart Norval
Video by: Stuart Norval

Violence against children in conflict hit 'unprecedented levels' in 2024, UN report says


Violence against children in war zones surged to "unprecedented levels" in 2024, a UN report said Thursday, with the Palestinian territories occupying top spot in the dismal rankings. The report documented 41,370 grave violations, the highest since global monitoring began nearly 30 years ago.


Issued on: 20/06/2025 
By: FRANCE 24

A Palestinian man carries the body of his child who was killed in an Israeli military strike on Gaza, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Thursday, June 19, 2025. © Jehad Alshrafi, AP

From Gaza to the Democratic Republic of Congo, violence against children in conflict zones reached "unprecedented levels" in 2024, a United Nations annual report said Thursday.

"In 2024, violence against children in armed conflict reached unprecedented levels, with a staggering 25 percent surge in the number of grave violations in comparison with 2023," according to the report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The report verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024 -- including 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed previously but confirmed in 2024 -- the highest number since the monitoring tool was established nearly 30 years ago.

The new high beats 2023, another record year, which itself represented a 21 percent increase over the preceding year.

With more than 4,500 killed and 7,000 injured, children continue to bear "the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks," the report said.

A man runs near burning tires during a protest against insecurity in Port-au-Prince 

Haiti on April 16, 2025. © Clarens Siffroy, AFP

There was also a marked increase in the number of child victims of multiple violations to 22,495.

"The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball -- but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings -- should keep all of us awake at night," said Virginia Gamba, special representative of the UN secretary-general for children and armed conflict.

"This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return."

In its annual report, the UN compiles violations of the rights of children, those aged under 18, in some 20 conflict zones around the world.

In its appendix, a "list of shame" calls out those responsible for these violations -- a powerful coalition of Haitian gangs was added this year -- which include child killings and mutilations, recruitment to violence, kidnappings, denial of humanitarian aid and sexual violence.

The Israeli armed forces, which were named last year along with Palestinian militant group Hamas, remain on the list.

Palestinian children wait for food at a distribution point in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, on June 11, 2025. © Eyad Baba, AFP

Conflict casualties

The Palestinian territories occupy the top spot in the dismal rankings, with more than 8,500 serious violations, the vast majority attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 in the Gaza Strip.

This figure includes confirmation of 1,259 Palestinian children killed in Gaza, and the UN notes it is currently verifying information on an additional 4,470 children killed in 2024 in the war-torn territory.

Violence erupted there following Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The report also calls out Israel's military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured last year.

Following the Palestinian territories, the countries where the UN recorded the most violence against children in 2024 are: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (more than 4,000 grave violations), Somalia (more than 2,500), Nigeria (nearly 2,500), and Haiti (more than 2,200).

"List of shame" inductees include Haitian gang coalition "Viv Ansanm," blamed for a 490 percent increase in violations, including child recruitment, murders and gang rapes.

Another addition to the list is Colombian drug cartel Clan del Golfo, which is accused of child recruitment.

Colombia in general recorded a significant increase in cases of forced recruitment, with 450 children in 2024 compared to 262 the previous year.

Remaining on the list are the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting in Sudan for more than two years.

Also listed again is the Russian army for its actions in Ukraine, where the report records a 105 percent increase in serious violations between 2023 and 2024.

One million Haitian children face 'critical' food shortage, says UN


More than one million children in Haiti are suffering critical food shortages due to violence, displacement and limited aid access, UNICEF said Thursday. Nearly 2.9 million children – one in four – face severe food insecurity, per the global hunger monitoring system IPC.


Issued on: 18/04/2025 - 
By FRANCE 24

Residents walk past a burnt car blocking the street as they evacuate the Delmas 22 neighborhood to escape gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 2, 2024. © Ramon Espinosa, AP


More than one million children in Haiti are suffering "critical" food shortages as a result of chronic violence, displacement and restricted access to humanitarian aid, the UN children's agency said Thursday.

"We are looking at a scenario where parents can no longer provide care and nutrition to their children as a result of ongoing violence, extreme poverty, and a persistent economic crisis," UNICEF's representative in Haiti, Geeta Narayan, said in a statement.

Across most of Haiti, armed violence is causing a "nutrition crisis for families", the agency said.

Since the start of 2025, "UNICEF and its partners have treated over 4,600 children with severe acute malnutrition" which was "only 3.6 percent of the 129,000 children projected to need life-saving treatment this year", the body added.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) used by international aid bodies, about 2.9 million children "are facing consistently high levels of food insecurity across the country" – or around one in four in Haiti.

01:49© FRANCE 24

Violence is also increasingly cutting off access to health care, including life-saving treatments, "putting children at greater risk of various forms of malnutrition and preventable disease", UNICEF said.

In Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, less than half of health facilities are in full operation, with two of the three main public hospitals "out of commission".

"Just as needs intensify, the response is increasingly constrained by funding shortfalls", UNICEF highlighted.

Its nutrition scheme is part of a Humanitarian Action for Children appeal that is short of 70 percent of needed funds.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

 

Marseille museum showcases rich history of Mediterranean tattooing

Issued on: 19/06/2025 -

 

Health risks from Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites are currently low. That could change fast

Copyright Maxar Technologies via AP Photo

By Gabriela Galvin

Published on 19/06/2025 - 

The attacks have raised fears about nuclear contamination that could raise health risks.

As the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites could have serious health consequences across the region.

Monitoring groups have not yet documented any such impact. On Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, said it had not identified radiation leaks as a result of Israeli strikes that began Friday and have killed hundreds of people in Iran.

But that could change quickly as the attacks continue.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that he is worried about “the targeting of nuclear sites, which may have immediate and long-term impacts on the environment and health of people in Iran and across the region”.

Not all strikes on nuclear facilities would be the same, and an Israeli military official has said their forces plan to minimise the risk of a nuclear disaster and the consequences for civilians.

Related

“There are gradients of risk,” Simon Bennett, who leads the civil safety and security unit at the University of Leicester in the UK and wrote a book on wartime risks to nuclear facilities, told Euronews Health.

A successful attack on a live nuclear reactor would be the most devastating to human health, spreading radioactive materials that could endanger people hundreds of kilometres away.

But Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant, the Bushehr plant, has not been targeted or affected by the recent attacks, according to the IAEA.

Strikes thus far

Israel has targeted three key nuclear facilities: Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo.

The sites use centrifuges to enrich uranium gas, which produces the fuel that powers civilian nuclear reactors. These centrifuges would also be central to an Iranian effort to develop nuclear weapons, which European Union officials have said must not happen.

Israeli strikes fully destroyed the above-ground plant at the Natanz facility, which is more than 100 miles from Tehran. The attacks also severely damaged the site’s below-ground operations, which contain its centrifuges.

According to the IAEA’s director general Rafael Mariano Grossi, there is both “radiological and chemical contamination” inside the Natanz facility.

Related

During an emergency meeting on Monday, Grossi said uranium isotopes may have spread within the facility. Such a leak would consist primarily of alpha particles and would pose a “significant danger if uranium is inhaled or ingested”.

Those dangers include a higher risk of cancer and damage to the kidneys, lungs, and bones.

“However, this risk can be effectively managed with appropriate protective measures, such as using respiratory protection devices while inside the affected facilities,” Grossi added.

The level of radioactivity surrounding the site, meanwhile, “has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact to the population or the environment from this event,” Grossi said.

Israel also hit a nuclear research facility in Isfahan on Friday, the IAEA said, damaging four buildings, including a uranium conversion plant. But there has been no sign of increased radiation there.

Potential future attacks

Israel has been eyeing an attack on the secretive Fordo fuel enrichment site, which is where many analysts believe Iran has been working on its nuclear weapons capabilities. The site, built clandestinely, was first publicly acknowledged in 2009.

Fordo is buried deep in the mountains of northern Iran, and US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering dropping a bunker-busting bomb to destroy the heavily fortified facility.

Relate

The site’s location deep below ground means that in the immediate aftermath, “the likelihood of significant contamination [in the surrounding region] is significantly reduced, if not zero,” Bennett said.

Over time, though, radioactive isotopes would be “leaching into the groundwater,” he added.

That means it will be critical that Iran allows the IAEA into the country to help manage any leaks – similarly to how the agency assists at the Chernobyl site in Ukraine, decommissioning and managing radioactive waste, Bennett said.

It’s not yet clear whether Iran will do so. One week into the conflict, it is still escalating.

“At this point, given the fog of war… everything is conjecture,” Bennett said.

 

Netherlands returns more than 100 Benin Bronzes looted from Nigeria

Copyright AP Photo

By Sarah Miansoni

Published on 19/06/2025 - 

The Dutch government agreed to return 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in February, and the official handover ceremony will take place on 21 June. British colonial troops originally stole the artefacts in 1897.

It took more than a century but they are finally home. The Netherlands have returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, nearly 130 years after they were looted by British colonial troops.

This shipment is the largest physical return of Benin artefacts to Nigeria to date. The Netherlands had agreed to their transfer in February upon request from the Nigerian government.

The official handover ceremony will take place on 21 June at the National Museum in Lagos, in the presence of representatives from both nations.

“The symbolism of this occasion cannot be overemphasised and what it means for the pride and dignity of not just the Benin people, but the whole of Nigeria”, said Olugbile Holloway, director-general of Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments, in a statement.

“We thank the Netherlands for the good example set and look forward to forging even greater ties between our two nations through cultural diplomacy”, he added.

Benin Bronzes are inspected before the official handover ceremony on 21 June @gbileholloway/Instagram

Most of the Bronzes were part of the Dutch State Collection and were exhibited at the Wereldmuseum in Leiden. Four items will remain on display there on a loan agreement.

“We congratulate Nigeria on their persistent advocacy for the return of the Benin Bronzes”, said Dutch Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation Dewi van de Weerd.

“We hope that this restitution is not the final chapter, but the foundation for further cooperation between Dutch and Nigerian museums.”

The Benin Bronzes are a group of several thousand plaques and sculptures made between the 15th and 19th centuries. Artefacts include ornaments, jewellery and masks, many of which decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, now the Southern Nigerian Edo state.

Most of these objects were stolen in 1897, during a brutal punitive expedition in which British troops killed thousands of people and looted the palace.

Following the violent raid, the Kingdom of Benin was absorbed into colonial Nigeria. The stolen pieces were eventually sold to over 130 museums in 20 countries, mostly in the United Kingdom and Germany.

The result of a long-running effort

Nigeria has relentlessly campaigned over the years to reclaim the Bronzes.

The country signed a repatriation agreement with Germany in July 2022 for the return of 1,130 Benin Bronzes. Twenty of them landed in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, in December 2022.

Nigeria also sent a repatriation request to the British Museum in October 2021. The institution retains over 900 objects from the Kingdom of Benin.

Debates over the restitution of Africa’s looted art has reached several European countries in recent years.

Benin received 26 royal treasures from France in 2021. The pieces were stolen during the 1892 colonisation of the Dahomey kingdom. Mati Diop’s 2024 documentary Dahomey chronicled the restitution process.

The Nigerian government has yet to announce how and where the newly returned Benin Bronzes will be displayed.

In the meantime, young contemporary artists from Benin city, in southern Nigeria, have put together an exhibition on “Reclaiming heritage: new narratives”, currently on display in the National Museum in Lagos.

How the water gun has become a symbol for Barcelona residents 'fed up' with the tourism industry

The phenomenon started last July, when a fringe, left-wing activist group held its first successful rally.

Copyright AP Photo/Pau Venteo

By Euronews Travel with AP
18/06/2025 - 

A group of tourists were sitting at an outdoor table in the Spanish city of Barcelona, trying to enjoy their drinks, when a woman raised a cheap plastic water gun and shot an arc of water at them.

Her weapon of choice - the cheap, squirt-squirt variety - is an increasingly common fixture at anti-tourism protests in the southern European country, where many locals fear that an overload of visitors is driving them from their cherished neighbourhoods.

How did the humble water gun become a symbol of discontent?

From refreshing to revolutionary

The phenomenon started last July, when a fringe, left-wing activist group based in Barcelona that promotes the “degrowth” of the city’s booming tourism sector held its first successful rally. Some brought water guns to shoot one another and stay cool in the summer heat.

“What happened later went viral, but in reality it was just kind of a joke by a group of people who brought water guns because it was hot," Adriana Coten, one of the organisers of Neighbourhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth, told The Associated Press.

Then, some turned their water guns from each other to tourists. The images went around the world, becoming a publicity coup for the anti-tourism cause.

The guns reappeared in April when the same group stopped a tour bus in Barcelona, the Catalan capital.

Barcelona protesters carrying water guns a minority

On Sunday, around a thousand people marched from a luxury shopping boulevard popular with affluent foreigners before police stopped them from getting closer to Barcelona's top sightseeing destination: La Sagrada Familia church.

The marchers spritzed unsuspecting tourists along the way, chanting slogans and carrying protest signs. One read: “One more tourist, one less resident!”

They left a trail of stickers on hotel doors, lampposts and outdoor café tables showing a squirting water gun encircled by a message in English: “Tourist Go Home!”

People demonstrate next to a restaurant during a protest against overtourism in the Balearic island of Mallorca, Spain.AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra

Still, the number of Barcelona protesters carrying water guns was a minority, and in the gun-toting group, many were only shooting in the air or at each other. One dad was toting his baby in a front-pack, water gun in hand.

Outside the protests, Barcelona locals are not toting water guns or taking aim at tourists. And many in the city still support tourism, which is a pillar of the local economy.

‘A symbol’ of frustration

Can the water gun really change the minds of tourists, authorities or the businesses that drive the industry? Depends on who you ask.

Protester Lourdes Sánchez and her teenage daughter, each holding a water gun, said the gun "really isn’t to hurt anyone.”

“This is a symbol to say that we are fed up of how tourism industry is transforming our country into a theme park,” Sánchez said.

A protester holds a water gun during a protest against overtourism in Barcelona, Spain.AP Photo/Pau Venteo

Another demonstrator, Andreu Martínez, acknowledged it was “to bother the tourists a bit."

Laurens Schocher, a 46-year-old architect, said he didn't shoot any suspected tourists but hoped that carrying a water gun would bring more attention to their cause.

“I don’t think the tourists will get it," he said. "I think this is to send a message to authorities.”

A squirt can hurt your feelings

The marchers had no monster, pump-action water cannons that most kids use for backyard battles in the summer. Theirs were the old-school, cheap-o water guns that send a slim jet of water not that far away.

Some tourists who were sprayed took it in stride, even claiming it was refreshing on a day with temperatures pushing up to around 30 degrees Celsius.

But there were moments of tension. When several marchers squirted workers at a large hostel, tempers flared, and one worker spat at his attackers as he slammed the hostel door shut.

Nora Tsai, who had just arrived from Taiwan on a short visit, was among those spritzed on Sunday. She said she was a bit frightened and saddened. The “Tourist go home!" chants didn't help either.

“I still like Barcelona," she said. "I have met a lot of people who were kind.”

 

Best and funniest signs from mass No Kings protests against Trump

Copyright David Mouriquand

By David Mouriquand

Published on 17/06/2025 - 

The national and international protests against President Donald Trump took place in towns and cities across the US and Europe in a coordinated event titled "No Kings". Here are some of the best placards from this weekend’s movement outside the US embassy in Amsterdam.

A stone throw's away from the American embassy in Amsterdam this weekend was held a "No Kings" protest. Except it was dubbed "No Tyrants", as countries with constitutional monarchies sought to avoid confusion with anti-monarchic movements. 

This was one among thousands of similar protests that occurred over the weekend, all with the aim to denounce Donald Trump’s overreach and to reject “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of (US) democracy.”  

The rallies, which follow the Hands Off! protests and the marches triggered by Trump sending in the National Guard in LA, were also a direct response to a military parade rolling through Washington that celebrated the US Army’s 250th anniversary – and handily coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday.

The last US military parade was held by President George HW Bush in June 1991, celebrating the victory in the Gulf War. 

More than 2,000 protests were scheduled across all 50 US states last Saturday and organizers estimate that more than five million people participated. Several European territories like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, UK and Belgium saw protests organized by Democrats Abroad – and the Netherlands was no different.  

Outside the US consulate in Amsterdam gathered a few hundred people, and it was inspiring to see this crowd mobilize and to witness their fighting spirit.  

The speeches were short but passionate; the singing of ‘America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)’ was heartwarming; and the megaphoned demand that demonstrators take six steps back to avoid being on the bike path was one of the perfect and Dutch-appropriate interjections I’ve ever heard.

The protest signs also showcased the creativity, humour and passion of those involved. Here are some of the best placards I saw at the Amsterdam's "No Tyrants" protest - and stay until the end for the cutest protestor ever:  

Not A KingDavid Mouriquand

Turd ReichDavid Mouriquand

Democracy dies while Trump liesDavid Mouriquand

Dump the circusDavid Mouriquand

No Kings Since 1776David Mouriquand

Deport HateDavid Mouriquand

ExpectationsDavid Mouriquand

Does This Ass Make My Country Look Small?David Mouriquand

Now You've Pissed Off GrandmaDavid Mouriquand

You're FiredDavid Mouriquand

DictatorsDavid Mouriquand

Dictators IIDavid Mouriquand

Dear World...David Mouriquand

Unleash The ResistanceDavid Mouriquand

]No Treats For TyrantsErin Erginer

No Treats For Tyrants IIDavid Mouriquand

Bill Gates in Brussels next week for fresh vaccine financing push with EU leaders

Copyright Evan Vucci/

Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved

By Sandor Zsiros
Published on 19/06/2025 -

The head of the Gates Foundation hosts a pledging conference on Wednesday, together with EU leaders, in order to collect 9 billion dollars for vaccines. Gates will also participate in a debate at the European Parliament.

Bill Gates will visit Brussels next week to participate in a Gavi vaccine alliance summit together with EU leaders to pledge provision of vaccine purchases for developing countries in an event co-hosted by The Gates Foundation and the European Union.

The goal of the event is to collect €9 billion between 2026 and 2030. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, will likely represent the EU at the event.

Gavi is a global vaccine alliance bringing together public and private actors that help vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the deadliest diseases. The Gates Foundation, alongside the European Union, is its biggest sponsor. Gavi intends to immunise at least 500 million children in the next five years. This, according to their press release, would save 8-9 million lives. It is not immediately clear how much the EU will contribute to this plan financially.

The EU has provided €3.2 billion in financing to Gavi since 2003. There was enhanced cooperation between the two during the coronavirus pandemic in the COVAX programme. EU institutions together with individual member states have also contributed €2.55 billion to Gavi's programmes, amounting to one third of the budget of the campaign.

“When the Gates Foundation made its first investment in Gavi 25 years ago, I couldn’t have predicted the extraordinary impact it would have on combatting infectious diseases, lifting up economies and saving lives,” said Bill Gates in a press release announcing the summit in Brussels.

"Together with Gavi, we have the goal to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030. That is why the European Union is proud to co-host Gavi’s High-Level Pledging Summit in Brussels. Our support will remain steadfast,” von der Leyen is cited in the release as saying.

Besides the Gavi's pledging summit, Bill Gates will also have other agenda items in Brussels, participating on Tuesday in a debate with MEPs on the European Parliament's Development Committee.

The discussion will focus on assistance and innovation as drivers for improving health and living standards in the Global South.

The press release of the Parliament adds that several international donors, like the United States and several EU countries, are cutting their aid budgets.

EU review indicates Israel breached human rights in Gaza

Copyright AP Photo
By Jorge Liboreiro & Maïa de La Baume & Shona Murray, 

Video: Maria Psara

Published on 20/06/2025

A review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement has found "indications" that Israel breached its human rights obligations with actions in Gaza.

Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip indicate a breach of the human rights provisions contained in its Association Agreement with the European Union, a highly anticipated review from the bloc's diplomatic service has found, citing a collection of findings by independent international organisations.

The breach stems from Israel's war on Gaza and the stringent conditions applied to the deliveries of humanitarian aid, which have stoked fears of widespread famine among Palestinians living in the densely populated enclave. It also covers Israel's decades-long occupation of the West Bank, where settlers have engaged in violent acts.

Europeans have reacted with shock and fury at reports of Palestinians being killed by the Israeli army while waiting for supplies at distribution sites.

The review was conducted by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and sent to member states on Friday under a restrictive format to avoid leaks.

"There are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement," a senior diplomat told Euronews, quoting the conclusions contained in the document.

According to the diplomat, the review speaks about the blockade of humanitarian assistance, military strikes against hospitals, the forced displacement of the Palestinian population, mass arrests, arbitrary detentions, the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law, in the Occupied Territories, and the violence committed by settlers. The violations are described as numerous and serious.

The internal exercise was launched last month at the request of 17 countries, led by the Netherlands, to determine whether Israel was still complying with Article 2 of the Association Agreement, which states bilateral relations "shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this agreement".

Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden backed the Dutch call.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Lithuania were against, and Latvia adopted a "neutral" position, sources said then.

Israel decried the decision and called on Brussels to keep bilateral dialogue going.

"We completely reject the direction taken in the statement, which reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing," a spokesperson of Israel's foreign ministry said in May. "This war was forced upon Israel by Hamas, and Hamas is the one responsible for its continuation."

Kaja Kallas has recently hardened her tone towards Israel

.European Union, 2025.

The outcome of the review will be discussed by ambassadors on Friday and Sunday and later by foreign ministers on Monday. High Representative Kaja Kallas will personally brief EU leaders during a summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Kallas, who walks a fine line to keep all countries on the same page, has recently hardened her tone towards Israel and what she calls "weaponisation" of humanitarian aid.

"It is very painful for me to see the suffering," Kallas said earlier this week.

"When I'm hearing that 50 people have been killed in the line for getting flour, it is painful, of course, I ask myself, what more can we do?"

It will be up to member states to decide what course of action, if any, the EU should take in response to the critical findings. Possible options include the complete suspension of the agreement, which is highly unlikely, or the partial suspension of certain provisions related to free trade, research, technology, culture, and political dialogue.

Some options will require the unanimous support of all 27 member states, while others will require a qualified majority, meaning at least 55% of countries representing at least 65% of the bloc's population. Any decision to suspend the trade aspects of the agreement will be in the hands of the European Commission, and diplomats say that here too, an agreement will be difficult to reach.

No action until July

Given the short timing between the release of the review and Monday's meeting, concrete action is not expected to be taken until foreign ministers meet again in July.

A senior diplomat said it was "difficult" to predict whether the 17-strong group will remain united on the next steps, but hoped the findings would help "increase pressure" on Israel to alleviate the human suffering inside the war-torn strip.

"There are three important points that we want to see," the diplomat explained, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"First, a full and immediate end to the humanitarian blockade. Second, meaningful steps towards a ceasefire that enable the release of all hostages. And third, we would like to see that no more steps are taken to make the two-state solution more difficult."

The review coincides with the military escalation between Israel and Iran, which will also be high on the agenda when foreign ministers meet on Monday. It remains to be seen how the discussion on Iran will influence the deliberations on Gaza.

Israel's war on Gaza has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.

Associated Press.

A diplomat from another country said it was "critical" to keep the political attention on Gaza rather than "looking somewhere else", meaning Iran.

"If the report goes as far as we imagine, how many member states will still be willing not to do anything and keep on saying that it's business as usual?" the diplomat said. "Those member states will have to justify their inaction."

But the sense of urgency is not equally shared. Several capitals insist the EU should focus on keeping open lines with Tel Aviv instead of cutting them off.

"For us, what is important is to keep a decent level of communication with Israel. We want to keep the Association Agreement as it is," a third diplomat said. "For many of us, trade with Israel is important, and we don’t want to shut the doors."

A fourth diplomat noted: "We're away the humanitarian situation is very bad (but) it won't stop being dramatic even if we do suspend the agreement."

The review comes a day after Belgium, together with Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, asked the European Commission to examine "how trade in goods and services linked to illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory can be brought into line with international law".