Statement
The Unified European Left (UEL),
re-affirming
- UEL’s condemnation of the violence perpetrated by HAMAS on October 7th 2023
- The need for all hostages to be released immediately
recalling;
- That collective punishment violates international law, specifically Article 33 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions Relating to the Protection of Victims of Armed Conflicts.
- That the targeting of civilian infrastructure, especially of fixed medical establishments and mobile medical units, violates international law, specifically Article 19 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions Relating to the Protection of Victims of Armed Conflicts.
- That forced and unlawful displacement of the civilian population, in whole or in part, violates international law, specifically Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
recognising;
- That at this point, over 21,000 people have been killed in Gaza – including over 11,000 children and infants.
- That over 74% of victims of Israeli violence are women and children.
- That, according to Human Rights Monitor, at least 90% of the people killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza thus far have been civilians.
- That 1.9 million people have been displaced.
- That around 50% of the population of Gaza are children and they are facing a dire humanitarian crisis as a result of the collective punishment being carried out on the civilian population of Gaza.
- That in addition to concerns around breaching of international law, the ongoing bombardment of Gaza is creating a devastating humanitarian catastrophe including the threat of starvation, as highlighted by global bodies such as the World Health Organisation, the UNHCR, the Office of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women and UNICEF
- That this dire situation resulted in an unprecedented but necessary decision by UN Secretary General António Guterres to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter to bring this matter before the UN Security Council.
- That the persistent failure of the United Nations Security Council to call for a ceasefire, due to the veto exercised by the United States represents an abject moral failure on the part of that country
- That all countries belonging to the United Nations have a responsibility under the UN Charter to pursue and support peace. This is particularly true for Council of Europe member states, some of which have failed to support a ceasefire
- That calls for a ceasefire from the highest-level and around the world cannot be continuously ignored. In addition to our shared global institutions, international organisations such as Amnesty International, Oxfam and Save the Children have all called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire.
- That the vetoing of a ceasefire in the face of such immense human loss and suffering represents an abdication of moral responsibility and deeply damages the United States’ credibility in respect of human rights
- That the role of US and some European countries in the sustained and escalating arming of the Israeli Defence Forces is morally wrong and must be ended immediately as the continued flow of arms into this conflict represents a huge obstacle to peace.
And welcoming;
- the start of hearings before the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) of the case brought by South Africa concerning allegations that Israel is committing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people which would constitute a breach of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”).
Calls on PACE to
1. declare its unequivocal support for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
2. strongly urge the European Union, some CoE member states and the United States Governments to end opposition to a ceasefire and to work collectively to bring a lasting and just peace based on the principles of human rights and international law.
3. join the global call of parliamentarians for an immediate, multilateral ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, the release of all the remaining Israeli and international hostages, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid entry into Gaza.
4. join the call on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an urgent order declaring that Israel is in breach of its obligations under the 1949 Geneva Conventions Relating to the Protection of Victims of Armed Conflicts.
5. Support calls for an international campaign to put effective pressure on the Israeli Government until it ends its illegal occupation of Palestine.