Overview
- The bloc’s foreign ministers reached a political deal Monday to target violent settlers and senior Hamas leaders with asset freezes and EU travel bans.
- Hungary enabled the move by dropping its long‑standing veto after Péter Magyar took office, ending the blockade under Viktor Orbán.
- Plans to sanction Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich did not advance because several governments withheld support.
- EU capitals asked the European Commission to craft proposals to curb trade in goods from illegal settlements, and there is still no agreement to suspend the EU‑Israel trade pact.
- Spain, Ireland, France and Sweden pressed for stronger steps rooted in international law, citing a 2024 World Court opinion that urges states to avoid commerce with Israeli settlements.