At a plenary session debate in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) “unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms condemned the barbaric attack conducted by Hamas and other militia groups against Israel on 7 October 2023”, acts which “cannot be justified on any grounds whatsoever”. The parliamentarians expressed their support for Israel in the face of “the most brutal terrorist attack of its history”, affirming its right to self-defence.
In a resolution adopted today on the basis of the report by Piero Fassino (Italy, SOC), the parliamentarians also voiced their dismay at “the staggering number of innocent casualties in the Gaza Strip”, noting that Israel’s military response has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, massive displacement and “widespread destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure in Gaza”.
PACE called for a permanent ceasefire and for a restart of efforts towards a political solution “provided that all hostages are immediately and unconditionally released” and that “the terrorist organisation Hamas is dismantled”. It also called for rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for the population in Gaza.
It stressed the need for the parties to the hostilities to strictly abide by international law and international humanitarian law, in line with the principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality and precaution.
According to the adopted text, the Israeli authorities must urgently and resolutely engage in preventing settler violence and to refrain from the “building of new settlements, and the extension of old ones, home demolitions, and confiscation of land in the occupied territories”.
Finally, the Parliamentary Assembly called for the resumption of peace negotiations based on a two-State solution, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders and the support of the international community to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region. In this context, PACE will step up its efforts to promote dialogue between the Knesset, the Palestinian National Council and parliaments of Council of Europe member states.
