Denmark, which is currently chairing the EU Council of Ministers, is advocating for sanctions on Israeli cabinet ministers and for suspending the trade chapter in the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has rejected  Jerusalem’s  claims that taking measures against Israel on Gaza by for example limiting free trade strenghtens Hamas.

“I think it is important that we challenge the false narratives. And I mean, we have absolutely no intention to strengthen Hamas, but the opposite,” he said during a press conference on Saturday following an informal meeting of the 27 EU Foreign Ministers in Copenhagen.

Denamrk, which is the country currently presiding the EU Council of Ministers, has joined a group of EU member states who favor some sanctions against Israel over the war in Gaza.

“We have to work and think more innovatively about what could be the next best solutions. For instance, we want to put a ban on imports from the occupied territories. That’s probably not doable. But then we could put a heavy tariff on imports, and we could do that by a qualified majority,” the Danish Foreign Minister said, suggesting that the EU could take certains steps in order to bypass the veto of some member states, like Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

‘’Israel is right now undermining the two-state solution and taking action against that is not strenghtening Hamas,’’ Rasmussen said.

Denmark is advocating for sanctions on Israeli cabinet ministers and for suspending the trade chapter in the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

“We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel must change its course. We should find common ground. I am not revealing a secret by saying we must change words into sanctions. Denmark is ready to suspend the trade chapter in the association agreement and put sanctions on some ministers in the Netanyahu  government,’’ Rasmussen.

The European Union remains divided when it comes to Gaza, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said after the informal meeting of the ministers.

She stressed that the division is negatively affecting the global credibility of the EU, and expressed disappointment about not being able to reach unity among ministers.

“If you ask personally how that feels, that I’m the face that is to blame, that we don’t have a decision, then it’s hard. It’s very hard,” Kallas said.

“It’s clear that member states disagree on how to get the Israeli government to change course. The options are clear and remain on the table. We have presented the options paper. But the problem is that not all EU member states are on board,” Kallas added.

Last month, the European Commission proposed to partially suspend Israel’s participation in Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation program. But the measure has so far failed to gather the required  qualified majority of EU member states.”

France, the Netherlands, Spain and Ireland have expressed support for the proposal. Germany and Italy have opposed it as they favour a dialogue with Israel. German foreign minister Johann Wadepuhl said “we’re not convinced of this proposal”, seeing as Horizon was a programme in the “civil sphere”, unrelated to Israel’s military actions.

‘’We still don’t have an agreement on those measures,” EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged at the joint press conference with Rasmussen.

“It’s clear that member states disagree on how to get the Israeli government to change course. The options are clear and remain on the table. We have presented the options paper. But the problem is that not all EU member states are on board,” she added.

”Israel’s announcement that Gaza City is now a combat zone threatens to worsen the humanitarian situation. If a military solution was possible, the war would already be over. Gaza needs less war, not more war,” she added.

She noted that many EU member states have  already taken measures ”not against Israel, but against the Israeli government”.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze  said Israel’s actions were covered by its “legitimate right to self-defence” against Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavský rejected the factuality of UN reports on Gaza starvation, saying: “Kaja Kallas was very successful … with opening humanitarian corridors” in her pre-summer talks with Israel.’’

Kallas told reporters that ‘’we are in constant contact with the Israelis, really putting the pressure on them.’’ ‘’If  we take the humanitarian understanding that we have, there are more trucks getting into Gaza with humanitarian aid. There are more border crossings opened than before. There are vital reparations of critical infrastructure. There is fuel being provided. There are things that are improved, but it is not enough,’’ she added in a reference tot he agreement she reached in June with Israelu Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to ‘’significantly’’ increase the humaniatarian aid tot he Gaza population.