In a resolution adopted on Thursday January 18, MEPs call for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the relaunch of the peace process. On the condition that the Israeli hostages held by Hamas are released and the terrorist organization is dismantled.
On the last day of their January plenary session, MEPs adopted a non-binding resolution on the situation in the Middle East. In the version of the text adopted by 312 votes (131 against and 72 abstentions), parliamentarians express their “deep sadness” for the innocent victims on the Israeli and Palestinian sides and call for a permanent ceasefire in the region.
“While condemning in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas against Israel, they also denounce Israel’s disproportionate military response, which has caused civilian deaths on an unprecedented scale,” the statement said. of the European Parliament. The resolution also highlights the urgency of relaunching the peace process and calls for “putting the two-state solution back on track.”
MEPs set two conditions for a permanent ceasefire and the relaunch of the peace process. The first: the release of all the hostages, as quickly as possible and unconditionally. The second: that Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union, be dismantled.
Finally, the resolution emphasizes the need to guarantee rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to the entire Gaza Strip.
This article is originally published on touteleurope.eu