The Left in the European Parliament is calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence in Israel and Palestine.

There is no cause in the world that justifies the killing of civilians, Israeli or Palestinian.

Reiterating the call of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, Co-President of the Left Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise) said: “Europe must carry the UN’s demand: ceasefire!”

Since 7 October, over 3,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis have been killed and many thousands more injured. Over one million Palestinians have been displaced in 11 days, and large areas in the Gaza Strip reduced to rubble. The Left condemns in the strongest terms the attacks by Hamas and other groups against Israeli civilians and the Israeli attacks and use of chemical weapons against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. War crimes are war crimes, regardless of who is the perpetrator or victim.

In recent days, world leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, recklessly defended one side of this conflict. This had devastating consequences and is not a pathway to peace.

“You should have  carried the torch of peace, proclaiming loud and clear that every life counts,” Aubry told von der Leyen in the chamber.  “You didn’t do it. Worse, during your trip to Israel, you overstepped your mandate and provided unconditional support for Israel’s murderous response.”

The EU and its member states must insist on strict adherence to international humanitarian law. Humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza must continue and humanitarian corridors must be opened. The Left calls on the EU and its member states to activate the temporary protection directive for refugees from Gaza, while ensuring Palestinians’ right to return. Lasting and fair peace must be achieved in accordance with international law, human rights, and based on UN resolutions.

Highlighting that this conflict does not occur in a vacuum, Aubry said: “For decades, the oppression of the Palestinian people, their humiliation and their colonisation has continued with the complicit silence of Western countries. Gaza was an open-air prison. Now, it’s hell on earth. If nothing is done it will soon become a cemetery.”

The Left’s resolution on the situation in Israel and Palestine is available here.

The vote will take place on Thursday 19 October at 12pm.

Picture © European Union, 2023