EU proposes suspending Israel from Horizon Europe

The European Union's executive, the European Commission, has proposed partly restricting Israel from its flagship $107-billion Horizon Europe science research program amid mounting pressure from EU countries over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Multiple EU member states accused Israel last week of failing to meet its commitments on Gaza aid deliveries and urged the European Commission to present specific measures in response.

Global criticism of Israel's military operation in Gaza has intensified recently, with United States President Donald Trump saying it must do more to stop the "real starvation".

The severity of the situation was confirmed on Tuesday when the leading authority on international food crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out" in Gaza.

The unprecedented move to suspend a country from the prestigious Horizon Europe program is based on officials' assessment that Gaza's humanitarian crisis provides legal grounds for such action, reported The Guardian newspaper.

The proposed suspension would block Israel's participation in the European Innovation Council, or EIC, a key Horizon program focused on breakthrough technologies.

According to the EU, Israel has been especially effective at securing funding from the EIC program, receiving approximately 200 million euros ($230 million) from the 900 million euros distributed since 2021. EU figures show 46 Israeli companies currently participate in the EIC program.

More than 20 EU countries voiced "serious concerns" about conditions in Gaza while discussing the Horizon Europe suspension proposal at an EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday.

While some backed immediate action, others worried suspending Israel from the program might impede dialogue. Members agreed to work quickly to examine technical details before engaging in further review.

The commission's proposal said "90 percent of households face severe water insecurity and malnutrition rates are rising sharply", with "severe shortages of medicine" and "virtually the entire Gaza population ... at risk of famine".

IPC food security experts noted that "humanitarian aid is largely insufficient", pointing to Israel's "drastic restrictions" on Gaza aid deliveries and security challenges for aid organizations operating in the territory.

Israel has rejected blame for food shortages, citing UN distribution issues and interference by the Palestinian Hamas organization.

Responding to the proposal on X, Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned it as "mistaken, regrettable, and unjustified", arguing it "only serves to strengthen Hamas and therefore undermines the chances of reaching a ceasefire".

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports more than 60,000 people have died as a result of Israel's actions in Gaza since October 2023. Officials announced on Monday that fatalities included 18,592 children and 9,782 women.

The ministry reported that in just one 24-hour period earlier this week, at least 112 people had lost their lives, with 22 of them dying during the distribution of aid.

According to hospital officials and eyewitnesses who spoke to the BBC, women and children were among those who died in pre-dawn and morning attacks on residential buildings.

The Israeli campaign began following the Hamas-orchestrated assault on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, during which over 1,000 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.