<EntPE>EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT</EntPE>

2004

2009

Session document

<Date>{13/11/2006}13.01.2009</Date>                                                                                                              <NoDocSe>B6‑0000/2009</NoDocSe>

<TitreType>JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION</TitreType>

<TitreSuite>to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission </TitreSuite>

<TitreRecueil>pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure</TitreRecueil>

by Pasqualina NAPOLETANO, Hannes SWOBODA,  Kristian VIGENIN,  Richard HOWITT and Proinsas DE ROSSA

<Depute> </Depute>

 

 

<Commission><OptDel>{PSE}on behalf of  PSE Group

 

<Titre>on the situation in the Gaza Strip</Titre>

 

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the Middle East, in particular those of 16 November 2006 on the situation in the Gaza Strip, 12 July 2007 on the Middle East, 11 October 2007 on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and on  21 February 2008 on the situation in the Gaza Strip,

 

- having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 1860 of 8 January 2009

 

- having regard the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949);

 

- having regard to the postponement of the vote on the assent to further participation of Israel in EC programmes,

 

- having regard to the Statement by the European Union on the situation in the Middle East of 30 December 2008,

 

- having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A. Whereas on 27 December, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas rocket attacks in the South of Israel, since Hamas took control of the strip and following the breakdown of the ceasefire and the refuse to renew the cease-fire agreement, (A, PSE mod; A ALDE 2nd par mod) C, EPP mod)

 

C. whereas that according to the latest reports the Israeli operation has so far killed about one thousand people in Gaza, many of them children and women, causing thousands of casualties, destruction of houses, schools and other main civilian infrastructures due to the use of force by the Israeli army, (B, PSE mod; part of C, UEN; part of C ALDE; B, GUE mod)

D. whereas the border crossings in and out of Gaza have been closed for eighteen months and the embargo on the movement of people and goods has affected the daily life of the inhabitants and further paralysed the economy in the Strip and as limited a substantial improvements of the situation in the West Bank ; whereas the embargo on the Gaza Strip represents collective punishment in contravention of international humanitarian law; ((D, UEN mod; D, GUE mod; D, PSE mod; D, ALDE mod;

F. whereas, the improvement of the living conditions of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, together with the revival of the peace process and the establishment of functioning Palestinian institutions in Gaza, is a key aspect in the efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, (E, EPP)

G. whereas the European Union considerable financial support to the Palestinians has played an important role in attempting to avoid the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank; whereas the European Union continues to provide, also through UNWRA, humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip,  (F, PSE mod; F, UEN mod)

 

1. Welcomes the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1860 of 8 January 2009 and regrets that so far both Israel and Hamas have failed to meet the UN request for a halt of the hostilities; calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire which should include the halt to rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel and the end of Israel's t military action in Gaza, (1, ALDE first part; 1 EPP)

 

2. Agrees on the necessity of urgently providing, as demanded by the UNSC Resolution 1860, arrangements and guarantees in Gaza in order to sustain a durable ceasefire which includes at the same time the withdrawal of the Israeli troops, the sustained re‑opening of the crossing points, the lifting of the blockade and the prevention of smuggling of illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition, (5, PSE mod; 6, UEN mod; 9 ALDE mod)

 

3. Calls for a negotiated truce that  should be guaranteed by a mechanism, to be set up by the international community coordinated by the Quartet and the Arab League, which could include the dispatching of a multinational presence, under a clear mandate in order to restore security and respect the ceasefire for the people in Israel and Gaza, with specially reference to the monitoring of the Egypt-Gaza border which implies a special responsibility for Egypt; invites the Council to increase its pressure in order to halt the ongoing violence, encourages the diplomatic efforts so far undertaken by the international community, specially Egypt and EU (2, PSE mod.; 3, UEN mod.; 6a, EPP last part; 5 ALDE first part)

 

 4. Expresses its shock at the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza; strongly deplores in particular that civilian and UN targets have been hit during the attacks and expresses its sympathy for the civilian population affected by the violence in Gaza and in Southern Israel; (3, ALDE mod.)

 

5. Strongly requests the Israeli authorities to allow an unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance and aid to the Gaza Strip and to guarantee that the continuous and sufficient flow of the aid through the humanitarian corridor in Rafah; urges the Israeli authorities to allow the international press to be able to follow events on the ground, (6 PSE mod; 7 UEN mod)

 

6.Calls on Israel to fulfil its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law; calls on Hamas to end rocket attacks and to take its own responsibilities by committing itself to a political process aimed at restoring inter-Palestinian dialogue and at contributing to the ongoing process of negotiations, (3 PSE; 4, UEN 2nd part)

 

7. Calls for a stronger and united political role of the European Union and invites the Council to take the opportunity to co-operate with the new US administration in order to put an end to the conflict with an agreement based on the two States solution, aiming at building a new peaceful regional security structure in the Middle East, (14 PSE mod; 13, UEN mod)

 

8. Stresses the high importance of renewing the efforts for inter-Palestinian reconciliation between all the components of the Palestinian society based on the Mecca agreement of February 2007 which implied the acceptance of the previous agreements including the right of Israel to exist; and underlines, in this respect, the need for a permanent geographical connection between, and the peaceful and lasting political reunification of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, (11, PSE mod; 8, Greens part)

 

 

9. Stresses that only real progress towards peace and substantial improvement on the ground of the West Bank and Gaza can strengthen the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority (NEW)

 

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Secretary-General, the Quartet Envoy to the Middle East, the President of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Israeli Government, the Knesset, and the Egyptian Government and Parliament.