EU urges Israel to respect law in Gaza, avoids action on ties

European Union leaders on Thursday urged Israel to respect humanitarian law but did not draw any consequences for the bloc's formal ties with Israel from a human rights report.

An EU internal review into whether Israel still adheres to an EU-Israel Association Agreement, which stipulates that relations between the parties are based on respect for human rights, caused a rift between member states on how to deal with Israel.

According to the review, Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip - particularly restrictions on humanitarian aid - does not align with those principles.

While some EU member states have called for the suspension of the partnership agreement with Israel, others prefer not to take any action.

In their joint declaration, EU leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels ultimately decided not to act on the findings of the review.

The statement, however, "takes note of the report" and invites EU foreign ministers to continue discussion on it.

"Israel must fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law," a the statement read.

The EU "deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation," the joint declaration said.

Leaders called "on Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza, to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza."