Amnesty International's EU director, Eve Geddie, said such a proposal was "long overdue, limited in scope and grossly inadequate given the scale of Israel's serious violations of international law and the full range of political, diplomatic and economic tools available to the EU".

More than 1,000 people have been killed while trying to access humanitarian aid in Gaza since the end of May, according to the UN – one of the grim figures that are fuelling mounting European pressure on Israel over its ongoing blockade and severe aid restrictions.

Details of the deal remain unclear, but EU officials have rejected any cooperation with the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund over ethical and safety concerns. Opening more border crossings and allowing more aid trucks into Gaza is the priority, but officials say eventually they’d like to set up a monitoring station at Kerem Shalom crossing.