What the EU Said After Ben-Gvir Called for Nightly Killings in Gaza

The European Commission’s reported response was measured rather than a direct condemnation of Itamar Ben-Gvir’s language. On August 18, spokesperson Anitta Hipper said the EU expects Israel to comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and stressed that civilians must be protected at all times.

That statement established the EU’s legal baseline without announcing a new penalty against Ben-Gvir. The separate question of sanctions remains before EU governments, where political disagreement and the requirement for unanimity have prevented a decision.

What Ben-Gvir said and what else he advocated

Ben-Gvir called for Israeli forces to carry out “targeted assassinations” in Gaza every night, saying they should kill 30–40 people. He also said the policy should not be limited to people posing an immediate threat, and used dehumanizing language to describe Palestinians in Gaza.

He additionally renewed his call for Israelis to resettle Gaza at the expense of its Palestinian population.

Why German lawmakers called for sanctions

German politicians from across the political spectrum argued that the remarks crossed a line because they advocated killing people who were not necessarily an immediate threat. They said such a policy could not be justified as part of Israel’s legitimate right of self-defense.

Jürgen Hardt, the foreign-policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, described the comments as inhumane and said EU sanctions would affirm the universal application of human dignity and human rights.

Other German lawmakers also urged action. Dietmar Bartsch of the Left called for Berlin and Brussels to consider sanctions, including a Europe-wide entry ban. Social Democrat Adis Ahmetović urged Germany to support sanctions against Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil separately said the EU should seriously consider sanctioning Ben-Gvir, calling the remarks dehumanizing.

What sanctions are being considered?

A proposal has been put before the EU Council to list Ben-Gvir under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. The proposed response is therefore directed at an individual minister, rather than automatically imposing a new measure on Israel as a whole.

The legal standard cited by the Commission is that Israel must meet its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, while ensuring continuous protection for civilians. That framework is central to the European debate over whether Ben-Gvir’s public advocacy warrants restrictive measures.

Why the EU has not imposed sanctions

EU foreign-policy sanctions require the unanimous approval of member states. In June, EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas said that many member states had proposed sanctions against Ben-Gvir, but that the necessary consensus had not been reached.

That unanimity rule gives every member state significant influence over the outcome. Germany’s position is especially important because German lawmakers are now calling for action, while the government has previously resisted some EU measures concerning Israel.

The result is a gap between the Commission’s stated legal expectations and the EU’s ability to adopt a specific penalty. For now, Brussels has reiterated the obligation to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law, while the sanctions proposal remains dependent on agreement among all member states.