The European Council on 26 June issued a joint statement by the 27 EU leaders calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages. The communiqué deplored the scale of civilian casualties and starvation, urged Israel to lift its blockade, and demanded full, unimpeded humanitarian access throughout the territory. Leaders also “took note” of an internal review that found Israel in breach of the human-rights clause in the EU-Israel Association Agreement, worth about €42 billion in annual trade. Foreign ministers are due to discuss possible follow-up measures in July, keeping open the option of suspending parts of the accord. Pressure for a tougher stance escalated on 10 July, when more than 70 German academics released an open letter accusing Berlin of complicity in what they described as genocide in Gaza. The signatories urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to impose a full arms embargo on Israel, review diplomatic and economic ties, and recognise Palestinian statehood. On the same day, 27 former EU ambassadors sent a separate letter to senior EU officials—including Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—demanding the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement. Citing more than 57,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, they warned that continued inaction would erode the bloc’s credibility and contravene international law. The twin interventions add to mounting domestic and diplomatic pressure on EU institutions ahead of next week’s ministerial meeting, where member states will weigh potential sanctions and other measures aimed at forcing a halt to the war.