LONDON: Amnesty International condemned the EU for failing to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement amid accusations of genocide in Gaza and ongoing violations by settlers against Palestinians. The Foreign Affairs Council did not adopt any options to restrict trade with illegal Israeli settlements that were presented on Monday by the European Commission. The EU-Israel Association Agreement…

“All the 27 member states agree that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law,” Kallas said, adding that the EU’s existing policies have “not done much to limit trade with the settlements” because of inconsistent implementation. The Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has resisted efforts to impose new trade barriers on Israel and…

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, holds a press conference at the European Council building following a meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU member states in Brussels, July 13, 2026. Photo by Michael Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images By Shira Li Bartov July 14, 2026 (JTA) — The European Union…

An Iranian official and a Qatari official confirmed to CBS News that Qatari mediators were in Mashad, Iran, to try to de-escalate the situation amid an intense flare-up in fighting between the U.S. and Iran. The mediators are facilitating the indirect diplomacy to attempt to return to a truce and allow the Strait of Hormuz…

A ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank received the ⁠strongest backing among European Union foreign ministers on ⁠Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, although the bloc remained divided over possible curbs on such commerce. European governments have increased pressure for EU action in recent months, citing violence by…

History is not so much past as vigorously present, often a scab to be irritated in fitful anger, or a romantic affectation to be cherished. When it comes to controlling trade and establishing new routes, this is particularly apt. The Hejaz Railway project, seemingly long past, is now being dusted down. In a June 9…

A full ban on EU imports of goods made in Israeli settlements extracted “most support” from EU foreign ministers during a meeting on Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said, after the European Commission last week presented a range of options to restrict settlement trade, the boldest of which was a full…

History is not so much past as vigorously present, often a scab to be irritated in fitful anger, or a romantic affectation to be cherished.  When it comes to controlling trade and establishing new routes, this is particularly apt.  The Hejaz Railway project, seemingly long past, is now being dusted down.  In a June 9…

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday that a majority of member states support taking action against trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, arguing that ambassadors have been tasked with advancing the issue and that an extraordinary meeting is likely, Anadolu reports. Speaking at a press conference after a…

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would begin charging commercial vessels for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz as Washington reinstates its blockade of Iran following a renewed escalation in the conflict. Trump said Iranian vessels and ships trading with Iran would be barred from using the strategic waterway,…