Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The leaders of the political groups in the European Parliament issued a joint statement expressing the solidarity of the leaders of the European People's Parties, the Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, the Greens/European Freedom Alliance, and the Left parties in expressing their concern over the situation in the Gaza Strip.
The heads of the five political groups in the European Parliament signed a statement calling for immediate and effective international action to alleviate the intractable humanitarian crisis in Gaza under the blockade imposed by the Israeli government. According to a statement distributed in Brussels by the Socialist and Democratic Party (SDP) group in the European Parliament, a copy of which we received, this came at the initiative of the leader of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Iraci García Márquez. The statement read: "We, the leaders of the European People's Party (EPP), Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Renewal, the Greens, and the Left political groups in the European Parliament, express our deep concern about the risk of military escalation in the Gaza Strip and protest against all violations of international law in this conflict, including all statements envisioning territorial or demographic changes in the area.
We call for immediate and effective international action to alleviate the unbearable humanitarian crisis in Gaza, under the blockade imposed by the Israeli government, which prevents humanitarian aid from reaching the civilian population living in inhumane conditions.
We reiterate our call for full respect for international humanitarian law and condemn any act of politicization or militarization of humanitarian aid. We call on the Israeli authorities to take immediate action, in cooperation with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, to ensure unhindered access to essential humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population in Gaza.
We call for an immediate and lasting cessation of violence. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining Israeli hostages. We condemn any statement suggesting forced population transfer or territorial change, and we insist on full respect for international law. We also call for an end to impunity for flagrant violations of international humanitarian law during hostilities.
We continue to call for proactive diplomatic efforts by the European Union to achieve a lasting ceasefire.
We reaffirm the European Parliament's commitment to a negotiated two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with Israel and Palestine living as sovereign, democratic neighbors, with Jerusalem as their shared capital, side by side in peace and security, as the only viable way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
We reiterate that there can be no hope for peace, security, and stability in Gaza, as well as for reconciliation between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, as long as Hamas plays a role in the Gaza Strip.
The scale of the destruction and human suffering in Gaza requires comprehensive international engagement from the European Union and the international community. Therefore, we commend the work being done by Arab countries to develop a credible reconstruction plan for Gaza, which can also serve as a platform for regional peace and security.