Brussels: A group of more than 460 former European political figures has written an editorial calling on the EU to take tougher action against Israel over its military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

According to Anadolu Agency, the signatories include former Irish leaders Leo Varadkar and Eamon Gilmore, as well as former European Parliament President Pat Cox. Other former prime ministers who have lent their voices to this demand include Italy's Massimo d'Alema and Romano Prodi, Slovenia's Robert Golob, and Sweden's Stefan Lofven, as reported by Irish broadcaster RTE.

The op-ed has been released ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg next week and an EU summit in Brussels. During these meetings, proposals to curtail trade with Israel and suspend parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement are set to be discussed.

The 27-member bloc has yet to impose any measures against Israel, which has continued its military actions since October 2023 despite a ceasefire, and has also attacked Lebanon, Iran, and Syria.

The group articulated its demands, stating: "The European Union cannot stand aside. It must now act urgently to implement recommendations such as those repeatedly made since July 2025 in a series of public statements by a group of now over 460 European former ministers, ambassadors, and senior officials."

The editorial further emphasized: "Specifically, the EU must suspend Israel's preferential trade access under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, thereby impacting one-third of Israel's total trade in goods with the world. This requires leadership from the European Commission and the European External Action Service who, in line with past practice, should propose that these measures be enacted through a qualified majority vote by EU member states."

Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, has stated that sanctions on Israel have not been imposed due to a lack of consensus among the member states of the union.