EU, speak out against war crimes

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von Der Leyen; the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola; EU Member States Heads of State and Government

Petition

We demand that the EU leaders: 

  • call on all parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to comply with international law and to prioritise the protection of civilians’ lives
  • fully denounce Israel’s indiscriminate military bombing and attacks on Palestinian civilians and civilian areas, including hospitals, schools, residential buildings in Gaza
  • firmly pressure Israel to respect its obligations under international law, including ensuring the vital supply of water, gas, fuel, electricity and basic supplies to Palestinians in Gaza and guarantee the safety of international press and relief services
  • urge all parties to agree to ceasefire
  • unequivocally call for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to allow the safe transit of people out of crisis zone and of humanitarian aid in the region
  • hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law and collective punishment against civilians, including by publicly supporting the investigation carried out by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
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Why is this important?

Since October 7th, at least 1,400 Israelis and over 3,800 Palestinians have been killed. [1]

Civilians on both sides are paying the price of an unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Gaza. Key EU leaders are not calling for an end to this violence. President of the European Commission von der Leyen and other officials expressed unreserved solidarity with Israel but said nothing in response to the international crimes taking place in Gaza. [2] This gives Israel green light from the EU to break international law. 

The EU was founded on the commitment to peace and EU leaders have a duty to pressure all countries to follow international law and protect civilians. It’s clear our leaders need reminding of this and we must urge them to denounce indiscriminate bombing of civilians and residential areas in Gaza.

Around the world, people see Europe as silent on the fate of civilians in Gaza. But there is political will among EU diplomats and EU countries like Ireland to change this course. [3] 

Europe cannot apply double standards and must condemn war crimes regardless of where they take place and who the perpetrator is. It seems that our leaders cannot hear the voices of the Palestinians - so let’s add the voice of Europeans and our large community.

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References:

[1] https://ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-13

[2] https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-governments-fume-at-queen-ursula-von-der-leyen/

[3] https://twitter.com/ClareDalyMEP/status/1714202849930793423

 

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