S&D, Greens, and the Left to the EU: ‘It’s genocide in Gaza, time to act’

Brussels – Amid human rights violations in Gaza, pressure is mounting “to act.” The Socialist (S&D), Greens, and Left parliamentary groups urge the European Commission and the European Council to take action, once and for all, and as it should be. In a letter addressed to the presidents of the two institutions (Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa) and to the High Representative (Kaja Kallas), the three parliamentary formations, which together represent one third of the House, say “enough is enough.” “It is clear that genocide is being committed in Gaza, with the Commission and the Council so far failing to respond urgently and do what our treaties and values require,” the heads of the groups, Iratxe Garcia Perez (S&D), Bas Eickhout and Terry Reintke (Greens), Manon Aubry and Martin Schierdewan (theLeft) say.

The parliamentary groups challenge the inaction of the EU even in the face of the declared Israeli intentions to annex the Gaza Strip, to which the EU has hardly reacted. Not surprisingly, their demands to the EU’s top jobs include the need to “reaffirm commitment to a two-state solution, with concrete political steps.” All eyes are now on the EU Commission and the Council, with the spotlight on the UN General Assembly meeting in September. It is here that socialists, greens, and the radical left would like to see real change in direction.

It’s time for urgent action to end the massacre in Gaza.

Presidents of @TheProgressives, @GreensEFA & @Left_EU today write to @vonderleyen, @eucopresident & @kajakallas:
– Suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement
– Enforce a comprehensive arms embargo
– Guarantee humanitarian… pic.twitter.com/tGIudRkqa1

— S&D Group (@TheProgressives) August 5, 2025

To begin to give a real signal, the groups call for an immediate and complete suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the stop to the participation of Israeli companies in the Horizon Europe research program. However, these demands are challenging to realize since, in both cases, it is the member states that have to express their opinion, and there is division on the use of a hard line against the Jewish state. 

Nevertheless, the pressure is still on. “The European Union must take responsibility and act now,” the leaders of the Socialists, Greens, and Radical Left insist. That is why they are calling for more signals to be sent to the Israeli leadership, starting with the “restoration of full funding for UNRWA,” the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. It is the European Union that makes itself heard after the silence of another part of the European Union.