Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2023/24: US, EU and Middle East response

On 7 October 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas, officially designated a terrorist group by many countries including Israel, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, commenced an armed assault against Israel. It launched several thousand rockets into Israel and conducted attacks in border areas, killing more than 1,200 civilians, and taking 254 hostages, as part of what it called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”.

In response, in October 2023 Israel conducted air strikes against Hamas in Gaza and launched a ground attack to “destroy Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home”. The Israeli Government says it is committed to conducting its operations in line with international law (PDF), increasing aid and avoiding civilian casualties. Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, has called for an immediate ceasefire, more humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza. Fighting in Gaza is ongoing. Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel after 7 October 2023.

This briefing describes the actions and responses to events in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories by the United States, European Union, and Middle Eastern states, including Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Commons Library collection Middle East instability in 2023/24 provides more on the region, including the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Lebanon and military activity in these areas, Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Israeli and Palestinian Authority statements on the conflict, actions of the UN Security Council, and UK actions and response in 2023/24.

American actions and response

Support for Israel and military assistance

President Joe Biden condemned the Hamas assault of 7 October 2023 and said that the United States would “stand with Israel”. In 2024, he reiterated that US support will remain “ironclad” . In September 2024, the administration said it expected Israel to “implement fundamental changes” in the way the Israel Defense Forces operates to protect UN staff and aid workers in Gaza and said “far too many civilians have suffered too much”.

The United States has long been the primary source of Israeli arms and military assistance. Under a 2016 agreement, the US agreed to provide around US$38 billion in military aid from 2019 to 2028 (PDF). Further military aid has been confirmed in 2024.

In May 2024, the US Government said it would suspend one shipment of heavy bombs to Israel. President Biden said he would not supply weapons that had been “used historically to deal with Rafah [in southern Gaza], to deal with the cities”. Shipments were resumed in July 2024.

On 13 October 2024, the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense told the Israeli Government that it had 30 days in which to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza or risk having some military assistance ended. In November, the US said that Israel had taken some steps, including opening a new crossing, and had not made an assessment that Israel was in violation of US law.

Additional US forces have been deployed to the Middle East to defend Israel and US troops already in the region and encourage de-escalation. These include aircraft carriers, F-16 aircraft and missile defences. The US supported Israel militarily when under Iranian missile and drone attacks in April and October 2024.

Statements on a ceasefire

In 2024, the Biden Administration has supported a three-stage ceasefire to allow the release of hostages, which it has backed at the UN Security Council. Following the killing of the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza in October 2024, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that Israel had “achieved most of its strategic objectives”, including dismantling Hamas’s military capacity and “now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success” and secure the release of hostages and a ceasefire.

In 2023, the US had said ceasefire talks would only be held once all hostages were released.

Sanctions against Iran-backed groups and Israeli settlers

The US administration has announced additional sanctions against Hamas and those that fund it. In response to an increase in Israeli settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, the US has also announced visa restrictions and sanctions against some of those involved. It has also sanctioned one Israeli group for attacking aid convoys to Gaza.

Humanitarian aid

The US has announced US$1 billion in humanitarian aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Following allegations that several staff of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) were members of Hamas, the US suspended funding for the agency in January 2024 (as did the UK and several other European countries). All have now resumed funding, save for the US, which by law will not renew funding until at least March 2025.

UNRWA supports 5.9 million Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. The US has been its biggest financial contributor.

President Trump ended US funding for UNRWA from 2018 to 2020, arguing that it was “flawed” and that there was insufficient burden sharing of financial contributions.

European Union actions and response

Statement on 7 October assault and ceasefire talks

The European Union condemned the Hamas assault on 7 October 2023 and said Israel had the right to defend itself, in line with international law. The then EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said in October 2024 that there should “be an end to the wars in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon” following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.

European arms exports

Germany is the second largest exporter of arms to Israel, behind the United States. From 2019 to 2023, the US provided 70% of arms exports, and Germany 30%. Most German exports were for the Israeli navy, and their value fell substantially in 2024. In September 2024, the German Government confirmed that exports to Israel would continue.

In October 2024, President Macron of France called for an end to arms exports to Israel if its arms were used in Gaza and Lebanon, arguing that “the priority is that we return to a political solution”. France is not a major arms exporter to Israel. The Israeli Government criticised the decision.

Additional French forces have also been deployed to the Middle East and supported the defence of Israel against Iran in April and October 2024.

Humanitarian aid

The EU is planning to provide €125 million in aid across Gaza and the West Bank in 2024. The EU and all European states that paused future funding for UNRWA earlier in 2024 have now resumed funding.

Sanctions against Hamas and some Israeli settlers

The European Union has announced sanctions targeting Hamas and against some Israeli settlers involved in West Bank violence.

Recognising a Palestinian state

In May and June 2024, Ireland, Spain, Norway and Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state, the first EU states to do so since Sweden in 2014. They said this aimed to advance talks on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel criticised the move and revoked the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian diplomats working in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (an act that the UK Government urged Israel to reconsider).

In October 2024, Josep Borrell argued that “never before has there been so little prospect for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. He said that “this solution […] does not have the support of one of the most critical to the conflict, the current Israeli Government”.

Response of Middle East states and actors

Actions of Iran, Hezbollah, and armed groups

Iran has a history of providing military, financial and political support to armed and terrorist groups in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen. In December 2023, the UK Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said that the UK Government judged that “Iran doesn’t want a direct war” with Israel but “is comfortable with the way events have unfolded” since the Hamas assault of 7 October 2023.

Separate Commons Library research briefings describe the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel, the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping from Yemen, Iranian and Israeli attacks in April and October 2024, and the UK and international response to these.

Egypt and Qatar

Qatar and Egypt are acting as mediators between Hamas and Israel, and Qatar and Turkey have both hosted Hamas leaders. Qatar has said Hamas’s presence is supportive of political negotiations, but it has been subject to US pressure for Hamas to leave the country following the conflict. Hamas negotiators have left Qatar in 2024, reportedly on a temporary basis, following an American request.

Arab Gulf states

The Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Kuwait) have called for an immediate ceasefire and an increase in aid. The Arab League, which also includes Egypt and Lebanon, agrees.  

The UAE and Bahrain maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, which were established in 2020. Talks are reportedly continuing for a similar agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, conditional on making progress on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a Saudi-US defence pact, and a civilian nuclear programme in Saudi Arabia. In 2024, Saudi Arabia said that there would be no agreement with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is recognised.