JJP lobbies the EU Ambassador again

On 31 October, JJP wrote to the EU Ambassador to the UK again about Israel’s repeated violation of the ceasefire. We said it was now clear that Israel intends to sabotage the ceasefire, and therefore the European Commission should reintroduce its proposal for suspending the free trade and other parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Our letter is below

His Excellency, Mr. Pedro Serrano 31 October 2025

Ambassador, Embassy of the European Union

Dear Ambassador Serrano,

Further to our letter of 23 October, we are writing about Israel’s repeated violations of the Gaza ceasefire.

Three days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered “intense” strikes on Hamas, supposedly because Hamas returned body parts of an Israeli hostage whose body had been found many months ago, instead of the body parts of the hostage it said it was returning. The next day, Israel invented a different story to justify the bombings. Defence Minister Katz claimed it was retaliation for Hamas killing a soldier during an Israeli operation to dismantle a tunnel in Rafah. That is the same excuse Israel used to justify the bombings on Sunday 19 October, except that time Israel said it was acting to “to dismantle terrorist infrastructure” in Rafah.

Both tunnel dismantlings constituted aggressive military activity even though they did not involve use of weapons. They were provocative. That violates ceasefires. That they did not violate the letter of this ceasefire is because of the inexperience of Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner in ceasefire negotiations. Israel has taken advantage of Witkoff and Kushner’s inexperience to create provocations while trying to claim innocence.

More than 100 people were killed in this latest provocation. More that 200 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 600 wounded since the ceasefire took effect. Despite Israel’s claim that it carries out “precise” strikes against “terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to the troops”, most of the victims have been civilians, as always. These bombings are unconscionable and they must be stopped.

We believe it is now clear that Israel intends to sabotage the ceasefire. That is in keeping with its previous strategy of using continuing attacks and displacements to force the population into a small “humanitarian city” in Rafah, from which they would “voluntarily” leave for some as yet unknown destination. It is futile for the Commission to wait for this Israeli government to start acting in good faith. It did not do so in July“s verbal agreement” with High Commissioner Kallas and there is no reason to think it will do so now.

The Commission should now therefore reintroduce its proposal for suspension of the free trade and other parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

I hope to hear from you to arrange a meeting.

Arthur Goodman,

Parliamentary and Diplomatic Officer

c.c. Felix Fabiny,.First Secretary