‘’We do not move with the measures now but we do not take them off the table either, because the situation is fragile,’’ EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas told reporters following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

Although a fragile ceasefire is in place in Gaza since 10 Octobert in the framework of the first phase of the US-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas, European Union Foreign Ministers decided Monday to maintain the threat opf sanctions against Israel that were adopted by the European Commission in September.

After a meerting of the ministers in Luxemboyurg, EU’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged that the ceasefire ‘’has changed the context, that is very clear for everybody.’’ She added however that ‘’unless we see real and sustained change on the ground, including more aid reaching Gaza, the threat of sanctions remains on the table.’’ She mentioned that during the meeting ‘’there were divergent views’’ on the issue.

‘’We do not move with the measures now but we do not take them off the table either, because the situation is fragile,’’ Kallas told reporters.

She added, ‘’We need to see the improvement of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza. We need to see also Palestinian revenues to be given to Palestine – or released by the Israeli authorities. We need to see journalists and humanitarian aid workers getting in. We need to see also the international NGOs’ registration be unrestricted. These were the worries that Member States raised.’’

During her State of the EU address in the European Parliament in September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a proposal to partially suspend the trade part of the EU–Israel Association Agreement and sanction two ministers of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich as well as ‘’violent settlers.’’Earlier this year, the Commission had suspended EU funding that supports cooperation with Israel, worth a total of around €14 million, and floated freezing participation in parts of the Horizon Europe research program, a measure that was never adopted due to opposition of several EU member states.

The EU proposed sanctions followed what Brussels described as the catastrophic humanitarian aid situation in Gaza and ater the decision of Israel to expand its military operations in Gaza city.

Kallas reminded thagt the EU is the largest financial backer of the Palestinian Authority and Gaza’s biggest humanitarian donor. ‘’Our border assistance mission (in the Rafah crossing) stands ready to deploy. Ministers discussed how the European Union can put its full weight behind the peace plan, including by providing additional governance and reconstruction support. ‘’

The Israeli army said it will resume enforcement of the ceasefire in Gaza after launching air strikes on Sunday in response to Hamas’s “blatant violation” of the deal.  The IDF said that terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire  toward its troops in Rafah, killing two soldiers. “In response, the IDF has begun striking in the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity.”