Published: Saturday, January 17, 2009
Courtesy Of The Tehran Times
STRASBOURG, France (AFP) -- The European Parliament Thursday deplored the “collective punishment” meted out by Israel in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law.
“The embargo on the Gaza Strip represents collective punishment in contravention of international humanitarian law,” the eurodeputies agreed in a parliamentary resolution adopted with no dissenting hands.
The parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, also called for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire,” which should include a halt to rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel and the end of Israel's military action in Gaza.
The assembled MEPs said that a negotiated truce should be guaranteed by a “mechanism” set up by the international community which could include sending a multinational mission “in order to restore security and secure respect for the ceasefire.”
They also called for the European Union to adopt “a stronger and more united political stance,” on the Middle East peace issue.
The parliamentary resolution made no mention of EU plans endorsed last month to intensify ties with Israel, although several MEPs spoke out against the plan in recent days.
The parliament expressed “its shock at the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza” and “strongly deplores, in particular, the fact that civilian and UN targets have been hit during the (Israeli) attacks.”
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Thursday suspended its operations inside Gaza after its compound was hit by several Israeli shells, injuring three of its employees.
Some European deputies, including Socialist group leader Francis Wurtz, who carried a card bearing the message “stop the war in Gaza,” told their colleagues of this attack but the parliamentary resolution was not amended to respond to it.
The European parliament did call “in the strongest terms” for the Israeli authorities “to allow unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance and aid to the Gaza Strip and to guarantee a continuous and adequate flow of aid through the humanitarian corridors.”
Since Israel unleashed its Operation Cast Lead on Dec. 27, at least 1,070 people have been killed and another 5,000 wounded, according to Gaza medics.
Israel says 10 Israeli soldiers and three civilians have died as a result of combat or rocket fire.
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