Brussels, June 16 (QNA) – The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank "remains dire".

In a press statement following the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, Kallas said that several EU member states proposed imposing sanctions on the extremist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, but no consensus on this was reached today.

The EU official indicated that several countries requested the European Commission to submit proposals regarding the entry of goods from illegal settlements into the EU.

"I will convey this request and ask the Commission to prepare, ahead of the next Foreign Affairs Council, a list of options for possible trade measures, including measures aimed at preventing imports of goods originating from illegal settlements. We will also seek the Commission’s assessment on the scope of issues related to the rules of origin", Kallas said. (QNA)