The European Commission is moving on with its proposal to the European Council to start punishing Israel for its violent actions in Gaza, following comments made by Commission president Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the European Union speech. For the ladder, the Commission is proposing to halt trade-related provisions of the association agreement between the bloc and Israel. In addition, the Commission wrote a proposal to sanction extremists under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. Both proposals will require approval from the Council, but while the sanction on trade needs a qualified majority, the sanctions on individuals need a unanimous vote. The Commission is also moving to sanction Israel without Council approval, by putting on hold bilateral support, except for those involved with civil society and the Holocaust Remembrance Centre Yad Vashem.