Gaza: MEPs call for immediate ceasefire and resumption of direct peace talks
The European Parliament called for an immediate end to rocket attacks on Israel and to Israeli military action against Gaza in a resolution voted on Thursday The EU foreign policy chief and the member states must do more to support a ceasefire agreement and put an immediate stop to all acts of violence threatening civilians, MEPs said, calling on Israelis and Palestinians to resume direct peace talks.
Parliament mourns the loss of civilian lives and denounces the recent murders of three Israeli teenagers and a Palestinian teenager. There can be no justification for the deliberate targeting of civilians, which is a war crime, and for the destruction of civilian infrastructure, MEPs said, stressing that both Israeli and Palestinian citizens have the right to live in peace and security.
Resume direct peace talks
Parliament encourages key regional players, notably Egypt and Jordan, to keep up their efforts to calm the situation. MEPs underline that non‑violent means are the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians and calls for serious and credible efforts by both sides and the international community to resume direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. These talks must achieve concrete results and the EU must play a more active role to this end, MEPs add.
The resolution was passed by 459 votes to 113, with 60 abstentions.
Procedure: Non-legislative resolution