Gaza conflict
Commenting on the evolving situation in Gaza, Monica Frassoni and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Co-Presidents of the Greens/EFA group, today said:
"Israel's announcement that it will suspend bombardment of Gaza for three hours a day is too little, too late. Nothing less than a full and immediate ceasefire is acceptable to start addressing the appalling human suffering. We call upon Israel and Hamas to agree to the terms of the ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and France and backed by the UN and the US...
...The most urgent step is to allow the supply of humanitarian aid - water, food, and medical care - and the entry of humanitarian personnel to alleviate the suffering of the population in Gaza.
The key elements for a truce are already clear. Negotiations must now begin without delay and involve all parties concerned. Hamas must stop launching rockets on Israeli territory and illicit tunnels must be closed to stop the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. In return, and at the same time, the borders to Gaza should be opened and allow unrestricted access of aid.
The European Parliament has been vindicated in its decision last month to refuse to consider a demand by Council to upgrade relations with Israel and to postpone its vote on this matter. We call upon Council to reconsider its inappropriate decision on upgrading. It is more apparent than ever that Israel does not respect the conditions provided for in the association agreement, notably those related to human rights. The blatant violation of humanitarian law has a direct impact on EU-Israel relations. In this context we call for an investigation into possible war crimes committed by either side in the current conflict.
The EU must leave behind its track record of limited and ineffective handling of the persistent humanitarian crisis in Gaza. EU member states must call on Israel to allow humanitarian personnel and international press to enter Gaza and appeal to the Egyptian government to do its utmost to open the Rafah Border Crossing to refugees, the civilian population and the supply of humanitarian aid.
We call upon the Council to immediately begin preparations for the deployment of an EU-led international peace-keeping force in the Gaza strip, which would also include contingents from Arab countries."
Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group
in the European Parliament
Chris Coakley,
Press Officer,
The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Tel: Brussels +32 2 2841667 / Strasburg +33 3 88174375
Mobile: +32-477-44-38-42
Fax: 0032 2 2844944
email: ccoakley@europarl.europa.eu