Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has said he believes the EU-Israel Association Agreement needs to be "reviewed" due to what he described as "war crimes" by Israel in Gaza.
Speaking as he arrived in Brussels for a meeting of European Union trade ministers, Mr Harris said he believes "the Israeli government is engaging in war crimes in Gaza".
He stressed there is a difference between the Israeli government and the Israeli people.
The EU-Israel agreement contains key human rights provisions that are "core" issues and not there to simply extend the document, Mr Harris added.
The Tánaiste said these human rights provisions are not being met due to Israel's actions in Gaza and "the association agreement needs to be reviewed".
Mr Harris said he will "intensify engagement" on the matter in the coming weeks and intends to "formally raise it at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers".
The EU-Israel Association Agreement began in June 2000 and acts as the legal basis for the bloc's trade relations with Israel, as well as influencing political dialogue and economic cooperation between the EU and Israel.
Mr Harris is in Brussels for discussions on trade and tariffs with his counterparts and European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
He will hold a bilateral meeting with Commissioner Šefčovič on the margins of the trade ministers' meeting.
There will be a detailed discussion on the EU's list of possible countermeasures if tariff negotiations with the United States fail.
The Tánaiste will set out Ireland’s position as it seeks to avoid any unintended consequences for the economy.
Mr Harris will highlight Ireland's sensitivities around possible countermeasures, particularly in the aviation, medical technology and agrifood sectors.
The Tánaiste will also hold bilateral talks with Spanish Minister of Economy, Trade and Business Carlos Cuerpo.
Speaking ahead of the meeting with Commissioner Šefčovič, Mr Harris called on the EU and US to take part in "substantive, serious engagement" on the ongoing tariffs stand-off, saying a solution is needed soon as it is now almost halfway through the 90-day pause.
He made the comments as he separately moved to protect Ireland's pharmaceutical sector links, saying it would be "extraordinary bad faith for the US to take any actions against the sector" while talks are taking place.
Speaking to reporters as he arrived in Brussels, the Tánaiste said said he has noted the decision by the US and China to "step back" from its tariffs row, as well as the recent US-UK trade deal, saying he "really hopes" that same approach can be applied to talks between the US and EU as well.
However, while saying the EU is "willing to talk", he stressed the bloc will still protect it and Ireland's own interests, saying that while protection measures are being drawn up, the EU and Ireland "want to be in a position to tear up this list" if a solution is found.
The Tánaiste said the potential EU response includes almost 5,000 potential tariff areas stretching to more than 200 pages, with agrifood, med-tech and aviation among what he said are "particular areas of concern".
He said ten EU member states, including Ireland, have important connections with the pharmaceutical sector.
Earlier this week, he said that while he welcomed the "potential cooling" between China and the US after they agreed on a deal to slash reciprocal tariffs, he is concerned by deals that leave tariffs in place.
