Pakistan, April 22 -- Germany and Italy have blocked a bid to suspend a European Union trade pact with Israel.

Spain, Slovenia and Ireland urged a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday to debate suspending the association agreement due to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and violence in the occupied West Bank. However, opponents said the idea has been definitively shelved.

Supporters of the move insisted that the bloc can no longer remain "on the sidelines" as violence continues and conditions deteriorate in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, all of which have suffered from Israeli wars.

However, the effort always appeared unlikely because the EU is clearly split on its approach to Israel.

German Foreign Minister Johann...