Germany Says EU Has Not Ruled Out New Sanctions Against Israel

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has said the European Union has not ruled out imposing additional sanctions on the Israeli regime over its conduct in the Gaza Strip. Speaking on Saturday, Wadephul said the EU had already imposed sanctions on Israeli settlement organizations and that Germany supported those measures.

His comments came after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israeli forces to carry out nightly killings of dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, including people he claimed were not an immediate threat. Ben-Gvir’s remarks drew widespread condemnation, including from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who criticized the call for “targeted killings” of Palestinians.

Germany’s ruling conservatives also urged stronger action, with Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union foreign policy spokesman Jürgen Hardt describing Ben-Gvir’s remarks as inhumane. He called on the EU to sanction the Israeli minister, arguing that such a move would reaffirm the universal principles of human dignity and human rights.