During today’s plenary session debate in Strasbourg on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the status of Jerusalem, the S&D Group called on the European Commission to assess whether the EU-Israel Association Agreement is fulfilled in terms of respect for human rights.

 

 

"Despite the damage the Israeli army has caused in Gaza, the European response has been very weak. Since the demonstrations in the Gaza Strip began on 30 March, 117 people have been killed, including 13 children, and 13,000 have been injured. Gaza is facing a human disaster of inhuman proportions. We want an independent commission to investigate what happened.

 

"Israel is a friend and an ally, but Netanyahu's government is clearly breaching part of the Association Agreement that Israel has with the European Union. We want the European Commission to assess whether Israel is complying with the human rights clause and with the respect for the international law that the agreement requires. If a part of the agreement is being broken, then the EU must raise its voice.

 

"Israel has the right to its security, but the Palestinians also have the right to their security and dignity. We call for an immediate end to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The violence has gone too far.  We must put the peace process back on the agenda. The EU no longer has an ally in the United States in promoting the peace process, which we have all always defended."