The European Parliament voted on Thursday for a 12-month delay to the implementation of a law banning the import of commodities linked to deforestation, and adopted a series of amendments to weaken the law itself.

Environmentalists said the changes would amount to exempting some EU nations entirely from the scope of the law. The amendments de facto restart the legislative process, as the new text needs to be re-discussed by the commission and member states.

The European Parliament demanded further changes to a landmark law to tackle global deforestation, adding complications to a plan to delay the controversial rules before they take effect later this year.

The EU has struggled to find a strong united position on the Gaza war, which was triggered by attacks by Hamas Palestinian militants on Israel on Oct. 7 last year. The bloc has called on Hamas to release all Israeli hostages and on both sides to respect international law.

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell has proposed that EU member states suspend political dialogue with Israel over its war in the Gaza Strip, an EU diplomatic source told dpa on Wednesday. Borrell is basing his proposal on assessments by independent international agencies that allege Israel has violated human rights and international humanitarian law in the Palestinian territory.