Brussel, 12 October 2023
Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz, co-chairs of the European Green Party, comment on the extremely worrying situation in Israel and Palestine:
“We restate our condemnation of the terrorist attacks by Hamas in the strongest possible terms. The barbarism of the crimes that are being reported is beyond human understanding. Nothing can ever justify acts of terror like we have seen these days. We stand in undivided solidarity with the people of Israel and express our deepest sorrow for the victims and their families. Hamas must immediately release all hostages in the Gaza Strip and ensure their safety".
“We urge respect for international law. It is the only way to protect the civilians on both sides. Civilian infrastructure, water, food and electricity supplies must never be a target. As stated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Tuesday, the siege of Gaza and cutting off of water, food and electricity - as announced by the Israeli Defence Minister on Monday - is prohibited under international humanitarian law. The civilian population of the Gaza Strip should not pay the price for the brutality of Hamas".
“We call for the end of all violence. No sustainable peace will be thinkable if a cycle of war crimes follows the terrorist atrocity. The international community and in particular the European Union must make every diplomatic effort to stop the circle of violence and a wider conflagration. It’s time to end the vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred and polarisation in the Middle East and make all the efforts possible towards a peace process aiming at a two states solution, based on agreed and secured borders, where Palestinians and Israelis can live peacefully and in security and where illegal settlements have definitely ceased”.
“There was no legal basis for the unilateral statement by the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, the Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi, to suspend humanitarian aid to civilians in Palestine. We welcome the fact that the Commission has expressed its commitment to deliver the due aid. EU aid is crucial to ensure that Palestinian civilians can have access to essential goods and to prevent extreme poverty. The robustness of the disbursement methods shall ensure that the funds are only allocated to the pursued objectives".
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres rightly called on all sides to allow United Nations to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians trapped and helpless in the Gaza Strip.
Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz, co-chairs of the European Green Party
