European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday she will seek sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel over the war in Gaza. The 27-nation EU is deeply divided in its approach to Israel and the Palestinians and it’s unclear whether a majority will be found to endorse the sanctions and trade measures.
Emergency personnel in Qatar dug through the rubble of an Israeli attack on Hamas’ political leaders who had gathered in the energy-rich Mideast nation to consider a US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The strike on Tuesday on the territory of a US ally drew widespread condemnation from several countries in the Mideast and beyond.
Hamas said in a statement that all of its leaders survived the attack but that five lower-ranked members were killed. Qatar said a member of its Internal Security Force died and others were wounded in the attack. The Health Ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday five people, including a child, died of causes related to malnutrition in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll of such
deaths since the beginning of the war to 404, including 141 children.
The ministry said the overall tally includes 126 Palestinians — among them 26 children — who died of malnutrition-related causes since international experts announced famine in Gaza City on Aug. 22.
The leader of the United Arab Emirates travelled on Wednesday to Qatar, a day after Israel launched an attack there on Hamas’ political leadership. The visit by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, likely underscores the growing unease the UAE feels with Israel. In recent days, the Emirates warned Israel that any effort to annexe the West Bank, part of the land that Palestinians want for their future state, would be a “red line” that would threaten the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal it struck with Israel. Qatar’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, welcomed Sheikh Mohammed.
The two leaders had been on opposite sides of a political dispute for years during the first Trump administration, which saw the UAE and three other nations boycott Doha. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in a social media post, said Von der Leyen had succumbed to pressures that undermine Israel-Europe relations. He said her actions will embolden Hamas.
Qatar has limited means by which to respond to the attack, analysts say, which likely entered into the Israeli calculus on launching the assault. “Qatari officials have condemned the attack, but
its options are constrained by the absence of formal ties with Israel,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst at the risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
“And more importantly, after investing considerable time and diplomatic effort into strengthening ties with Washington, Qatar’s political leadership is acutely aware of the potential repercussions of any actions that could jeopardise relations with Washington.”