EU foreign ministers discuss deal with Israel to increase Gaza aid

European Union representatives on Tuesday called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. 

The foreign ministers from the 27 EU member states met in Brussels to discuss a new aid deal largely forged by the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

Saar met with EU leaders on Monday after agreeing last week to allow desperately needed food and fuel into the coastal enclave of 2.3 million people who have endured more than 21 months of war.

Kallas said the EU now expected updates from Israel on the implementation of the deal. 

"Anything that will allow foodstuff, medicine, fuel to enter Gaza will be welcome from us, but I want to know better the details about exactly what this agreement is about and also the mechanism of follow-up", said Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno.

"It's very clear that this agreement is not the end. We have to stop the war” 

Details of the deal remain unclear, but EU officials have rejected any cooperation with the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund over ethical and safety concerns. 

Israel began allowing a limited amount of aid into Gaza in mid-May, after an 11-week total blockade.

A United Nations assessment in May found that populations across Gaza were at critical risk of famine.  

"We have some progress, we have some positive developments. It's true that we have trucks that are able to enter, but we don't know exactly how many and what is clear is that the agreement is not fully implemented", said Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner for Equality; Preparedness and Crisis.

An EU report found “indications” that Israel’s actions in Gaza are violating human rights obligations under the EU-Israel association agreement, but the block is divided over what to do in response.

European nations like Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain have increasingly called for the EU's ties with Israel to be reassessed in the wake of the war in Gaza.