European Union has policy of double standards when dealing with the Palestinian cause

In January 2024, the EU established sanctions against individuals and entities supporting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It has now broadened these sanctions to also target members of Hamas’ Political Bureau, known as the ‘Politburo’.

EU extends Hamas sanctions to include 10 political members

According to the EU, the Politburo is a decision-making body, so its members are “responsible for violent actions carried out by Hamas.” 10 members now find themselves sanctioned. Measures include travel bans and the:

freezing of all funds and economic resources belonging to, owned, held or controlled by, members of the Politburo.

This decision comes as the Israeli occupation continues, with impunity, its fully documented genocide of Palestinians.

In a statement, Hamas has said the EU’s sanctioning of its political bureau, but not the Israeli occupation is:

a policy of double standards in dealing with the Palestinian cause.

It questions why political leaders defending their people’s legitimate rights are sanctioned, while the EU “turns a blind eye” to documented violations of international law carried out by “Israel”.

According to the EU, Hamas’:

violent actions constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and of human rights law.

It has also accused Hamas of continuing to “represent a threat to international peace and security.”

Far fetched lies

But what about Israel? This is blatant hypocrisy. Far fetched lies against Hamas, including of mass rapes and beheaded babies on 7 October 2023, have been disproved by publications such as the Electronic Intifada. They are part of the occupation’s campaign to go to any lengths to justify its ongoing genocidal assault of Gaza.

Yet there is no doubt whatsoever about the Israeli occupation’s long list of international law violations. These began almost eight decades ago, when ‘Israel’ was formed in 1948. It forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes, and has failed, to this day today, to respect their right to return. And its atrocities continue. These include the crimes of forcible displacement, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, starvation, torture, collective punishment, and genocide. It also systematically violates its ceasefire agreements.

These ‘Israeli’ war crimes and crimes against humanity, are not only directed towards Palestinians. Since 2023, it has also targeted countries across the Middle East– Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen.

‘Israel’ a threat to humanity

‘Israel’ has global supply chains, and one of the most advanced, heavily funded militaries in the world. It also has a total disregard for humanity, and fails to comply with any international rules or norms. In reality, nothing threatens global peace and security more than the Israeli occupation. It a serious threat not only to regional and international peace and security. but the entire international legal framework.

By expanding its sanctions on Hamas, the EU claims it is “holding perpetrators accountable”. It also states that it demonstrates that “violent actions and extremism carry consequences.”

But as yet, the EU has taken no effective measures against the criminal state of “Israel” which, as of 4 June 2026, has killed 72,956 Palestinians in Gaza, and injured 173,043. It has sanctioned several illegal settlers, out of the more than 780,000 residing in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. But sanctioning a few of these is nothing more than theatre.

EU failing Palestinian people

These settlers carry out criminal acts for the Zionist government, which the EU has failed to sanction. There have been no arms embargos, no trade sanctions. The EU is the Israeli occupation’s largest trading partner. Trade in goods between the two amounted to €43.3 billion in 2025. The EU takes in nearly 30 percent of all Israeli occupation exports, while accounting for almost 35 percent of all goods imported into ‘Israel’.

It is the Israeli occupation that is the source of conflict and instability. There would be no Hamas if there were no occupation. Resistance to “Israel” is a legal right for all Palestinians, guaranteed under international law, so cannot be criminalised.

Hamas says the targeting of its political leaders confirms these sanctions come “as a response to pressure from the occupation and are not based on standards of justice.” And it calls on the EU to “review its biased policies, cease providing political cover for the occupation, and work to hold its leaders accountable instead of prosecuting the victims.”

According to Hamas, the will of the Palestinian people and their legitimate national rights will not be undermined, irrespective of any measures introduced.

Featured image via Getty/John Moore