MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine
15.7.2014 - (2014/2723(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Martina Anderson, Neoklis Sylikiotis, Patrick Le Hyaric, Marina Albiol Guzmán, Younous Omarjee, Malin Björk, Marie-Christine Vergiat, Ángela Vallina, Paloma López, Marisa Matias, Emmanouil Glezos, Kostadinka Kuneva, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Pablo Echenique Robba, Pablo Iglesias, Carlos Jiménez Villarejo, Tere Rodriguez-Rubio Vázquez, Lola Sánchez Caldentey, Merja Kyllönen, Helmut Scholz, Martina Michels on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
B8‑0076/2014
European Parliament resolution on the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations,
– having regard to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949,
– having regard to UN General Assembly resolution 194 (1948), and UN Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 252 (1968), 338 (1972), 476 (1980), 478 (1980) and 1860 (2009),
– having regard to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) entitled ‘Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories’ of 9 July 2004,
– having regard to the Council conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process of 16 December 2013, 14 May 2012, 23 May and 18 July 2011, and 8 December 2009,
– having regard to the EU Heads of Mission reports on East Jerusalem of January 2012 and on ‘Area C and Palestinian State Building’ of July 2011, and the EU Heads of Mission report on settler violence of April 2011 and the accompanying EU Heads of Mission note on settler violence of February 2012,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas on 7 July 2014 Israel launched a military aggression against Gaza called ‘Protective Edge’; whereas to this day more than 180 Palestinians, among them at least 30 children, have been killed (according to UN estimates, 77 % of those killed were civilians) and more than 1 250 injured; whereas 17 000 people have sought refuge in UNRWA facilities following exodus from Beit Lahia and Attara after Israel warned civilians to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of a large-scale bombing campaign; whereas over 1 300 buildings, including houses, hospitals and schools, were hit by Israeli missiles and bombs launched from both the air and the sea; whereas drones have been used in these military operations;
B. whereas following an Arab League ministerial meeting in Cairo on 14 July 2014, Egypt called for a ceasefire to be started on 15 July 2014 at 06.30 a.m.; whereas previously the UN Secretary-General had urged Israel to scrap plans for a ground offensive; whereas the Palestinian authorities have launched a case against Israel at the ICJ;
C. whereas this is the third similar military aggression on Gaza following the 2008-2009 ‘Cast Lead’ and the November 2012 ‘Pillar of Defence’, that left around 3 000 Palestinians dead, hundreds injured, and caused extensive material destruction, leaving behind a humanitarian catastrophe;
D. whereas Israel has been raising tensions, particularly following the kidnapping and killing (in mid June 2014) of three Israeli youths in the occupied West Bank close to Hebron; whereas this is no longer cited as the cause of aggression on Gaza, but rather the missile attacks on Israel that came in response to Israeli violence in the West Bank while the search was on for the three youths; whereas a Palestinian teenager from East Jerusalem was kidnapped, tortured and burned alive seemingly in retaliation; whereas in the same period hundreds of Palestinians were arrested, hundreds of houses raided and a number of houses demolished;
E. whereas according to Israeli estimates, 1 000 missiles have been launched from Gaza, most of them intercepted by the Israeli antimissile system ‘Iron Dome’, causing only minimal material damage;
F. whereas these events followed the announcement of the agreement between Palestinian parties to form a unity government overcoming the division existing since 2007; whereas this was one of the conditions set in the peace talks led by the US in the past year; whereas this announcement was met by vehement statements of the Israeli Prime Minister denouncing it; whereas Israel has not respected the previous ceasefire agreement;
G. whereas the latest round of peace talks that started a year ago has had no success;
H. whereas the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 16 December 2013 stated among other things that: ‘The EU warns against actions that undermine the negotiations. In this regard, it deplores Israel’s continuous expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to peace. The Council also expresses its grave concern regarding incitement, incidents of violence in the occupied territory, house demolitions and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. The EU expresses its serious concern about actions that undermine the status quo of the holy sites, including in Jerusalem. The European Union will continue to closely monitor the situation and its broader implications and act accordingly’;
I. whereas on 19 July 2013 the EU issued ‘Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards’ (2013/C 205/05);
J. whereas Israel continues to ignore the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice entitled ‘Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories’ of 9 July 2004;
1. Strongly denounces the Israeli military aggression on Gaza and demands its immediate end;
2. Calls for a stop to rockets being fired into Israel;
3. Expresses its condolences to the families of the hundreds of Palestinian victims as well as to the families of the three Israeli youths;
4. Supports efforts to reach an agreement on an immediate, lasting and fully respected ceasefire that should be guaranteed by a mechanism to be set up by the international community, including a peacekeeping mission under the UN and the end of the siege; believes that this should put an end to the killing and suffering of the Palestinian people enclaved in the Gaza Strip since 2007; demands an immediate end to the siege of Gaza and immediate access to humanitarian aid, particularly to cover the urgent medical needs;
5. Condemns the policy of collective punishment pursued by Israel against the Palestinian people and calls for an end to Israel’s impunity regarding the continuous gross violations of international and humanitarian law, the Charter of the UN and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
6. Reiterates its support to the recognition of a viable, independent, contiguous Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the 1967 borders, living in peace alongside Israel;
7. Calls on the governments of all EU Member States to implement the 19 July 2013 Guidelines; calls for a ban on import to the EU of all Israeli products produced in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories;
8. Considers that it is high time the EU implemented Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement by freezing the Agreement as long as Israel continues violating human rights;
9. Strongly supports the Palestinian efforts to achieve unity;
10. Extends its support to the Israeli political parties, movements and people standing up against the Israeli aggression and calling for a peaceful solution; is particularly concerned about the deterioration of freedom of speech in Israel; notes that on the evening of 12 July 2014, a peace rally in Tel-Aviv against the current military operation was attacked, with one person injured and hospitalised, without any interventions or arrests by the Israeli police;
11. Supports the request made by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to place Palestine under international protection;
12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments and governments of the EU Member States, the UN Secretary-General, the President of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Israeli Government, the Knesset.