EU Lawmakers Call for Sanctions on Lebanese Politicians if New Government Fails

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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EU Lawmakers Call for Sanctions on Lebanese Politicians if New Government Fails

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

The European Union should still consider imposing sanctions on Lebanese politicians who block the progress of the new government, the EU's parliament said on Thursday, calling Lebanon's crisis a man-made disaster.

This week, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told the European Parliament that, while Lebanon's economic model was broken, the moment for sanctions had passed because politicians formed a government on Sept. 10.

Taking note of Lebanon's formation of a government after more than a year of political deadlock, the European Parliament in Strasbourg issued a resolution saying EU governments cannot yet release pressure on the country.

The parliament voted 575 in favor, 71 against and with 39 abstentions, Reuters reported.

The parliament "deeply urges Lebanese leaders to keep their promises and be a functional government", the parliament's resolution, which is non-binding, said of Lebanon's new cabinet that has vowed to tackle one of the world's worst economic meltdowns in history.

EU lawmakers warned: "the introduction of targeted sanctions for obstructing or undermining the democratic political process remains an option."

The EU agreed in June to prepare travel bans and asset freezes for Lebanese politicians accused of corruption and obstructing efforts to form a government, financial mismanagement and human rights abuses.

No names have been formally identified, but with financial collapse, hyperinflation, electricity blackouts and food shortages blighting the country, the parliament hopes its call will focus the minds of Lebanese politicians, many of whom have assets in the EU.



Netanyahu Says Israel Is Establishing a New Security Corridor across Gaza

An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
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Netanyahu Says Israel Is Establishing a New Security Corridor across Gaza

An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is establishing a new security corridor across the Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Wednesday, he described it as the Morag corridor, using the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, suggesting it would run between the two southern cities.

His comments came as Palestinian officials at hospitals inside Gaza said Israeli strikes overnight and into Wednesday had killed more than 40 people, nearly a dozen of them children.

The Israeli government has long maintained a buffer zone just inside Gaza along its security fence and has greatly expanded since the war against Hamas began in 2023. Israel says the buffer zone is needed for its security, while Palestinians view it as a land grab that further shrinks the narrow coastal territory, home to around 2 million people.