Amnesty International has condemned the European Union’s decision to maintain its partnership agreement with Israel as a “cruel betrayal” and a “blatant violation of international law,” amid Israel’s ongoing atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza.

In a sharply worded statement, Amnesty denounced the EU’s disregard for Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which ties cooperation to respect for human rights and democratic principles. By ignoring this foundational clause, the EU is, according to Amnesty, enabling Israel’s persistent violations and undermining its own credibility as a defender of global human rights.

The 1995 agreement, in effect since 2000, is intended to foster political and economic collaboration. But as Israel continues to carry out indiscriminate strikes on civilians in Gaza and enforce a deadly blockade on the besieged enclave, Amnesty argues that sustaining relations without accountability renders the EU complicit in crimes that defy basic humanitarian norms.

Human Rights Watch and over 30 Members of the European Parliament have echoed calls to suspend the agreement, urging the EU to trigger its accountability mechanisms and condition future cooperation on ending violations and upholding international law.

Amnesty concluded by warning that the EU’s silence sends a dangerous message, that international partnerships can thrive even in the face of mass suffering and injustice. “This is unacceptable in a world that claims to stand for justice and human rights,” the organisation said.