[WCUSP] End the blaockade of Gaza

[yvonne simmons]

----- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
Van: MORGANTINI Luisa
[mailto:luisa.morgantini at europarl.europa.eu]

 
PRESS RELEASE

 

EP re-calls for the end of the  blockade in Gaza : 

the policy of isolation and collective punishment has
failed

 

Strasbourg 21st February 2008 

 

Today the European Parliament approved a resolution
that calls once
 again, after a previous resolution already voted on
11th October 2007, for
 the lift of the Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip.

"Now, European Union has no more excuses - declared
Luisa Morgantini-
 We must immediately take effective actions to
implement these
 resolutions and stop the illegal and collective
punishment of civilians in the
 Strip, where 98 Palestinian patients, including 17
children, already died
 for the lack of medicines and treatments due to the
siege: the MEPs
 delegation visited the Shifa Hospital in Gaza and saw
at least 30
 premature babies still alive thanks to the incubators
but that will die if
 generators would stop for the lack of fuel due to the
cut off of
 refuelling supplies and to the closure decided by the
Israeli Government. That's
  unlawful  and inhuman". 

"The resolution voted today, calling on Israel for an
end to the
 blockade, for a controlled re-opening of the
crossings in and out of Gaza,
 for guaranteeing the movement of people and goods at
Rafah, Karni and
 other crossings, clearly affirms that "the policy of
isolation of Gaza
 Strip has failed both at the political and at the
humanitarian level"- she
 added. "Reminding that "civilian population should be
exempt from any
 military action and any collective punishment"
through this resolution,
 the EP strongly urges Israel to fulfil its
international obligations,
 as an occupying power, guaranteeing "a continuous and
sufficient flow
 of humanitarian aid, humanitarian assistance and
essential goods and
 services, including fuel and power supplies"
condemning at the same time
 the Israel's decision to introduce progressive five
per cent per week
 cuts in power supplies to the Strip not enough for a
minimum humanitarian
 needs and welcoming the petition from 10 Israeli
human rights
 organisations against fuel and electricity cuts in
the Gaza Strip". 

"Finally- concluded Luisa Morgantini- today resolution
reminds to
 Europe that it must be able to be more effective not
only in condemning all
 violence, all military actions killing and
endangering civilians and
 extrajudicial targeted killings actuated by Israel,
as well as all Qassam
 rockets fired on civilians of the Israeli town of
Sderot, perpetrated
 by some extremist Palestinian groups, but also
through its deeds and
 commitments. The time of empty words and of betrayed
promises is ended:
 all the Palestinians and the Israelis who want the
peace deserve our
 support and efforts to work concretely for
guaranteeing the respect of the
 international humanitarian law, for the resumption of
all inclusive
 peace negotiations, including also the Arab League, 
based on the
 freezing of all illegal Israeli settlements in West
Bank and in East
 Jerusalem, the end of the military occupation and for
the establishment of a
 free, sovereign, united Palestinian State, composed
by the West Bank and
 the Gaza Strip on '67 borders in coexistence ,
security and peace with
 the Israeli State".

Yesterday 20th February Luisa Morgantini, Vice
President of the
 European Parliament (GUE/NGL), and General Philippe
Morillon (ALDE) organized
 a press conference titled "Coming Back from Gaza and
Sderot" with the
 participation of  Members  from different political
groups  of the
 European Parliament who took part to the fact finding
mission to Israel and
 Palestine, 2-7 February 2008, in order to expose the
results of their
 mission and report the situation found on the ground,
in particular
 focusing on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip.
MEP Jill Evans (GREEN),
 who participated to the mission in Gaza and Sderot
affirmed that "The
 situation in Palestine is reaching breaking point.
The siege is an
 inhuman and illegal collective punishment of the
people in Gaza and is
 causing huge suffering. It has to be stopped. There
has to be international
 action to lift the siege, end the occupation and
resume peace
 negotiations". MEP Richard Howitt, Vice-President of
the European Parliament's
 Human Rights Sub-Committee and also in the delegation
 who went to
 Israel and Palestine added: "This is a state of siege
imposing medieval
 conditions on the people of Gaza, and is today
identified by the European
 Parliament as a clear breach of human rights.
European countries should
 take the lead to secure support from all sides in
their UN Human Rights
 Council to seek enforcement of international
humanitarian law".

"In Gaza, there is a humanitarian crisis building and
an economic
 breakdown happening which can only benefit the
violent, the lawless and the
 zealots on all sides: we have to support those who
want to live
 "normal", peaceful lives before that becomes
impossible" - declared MEP Jean
 Lambert (GREEN) who also visited with the delegation
Gaza and Sderot-
 "Both sides are hostages of their own extremists.
That's why the
 International Community should enforce a sustainable
peace both on Israel and
 Palestine: it's the basic interest of the
peace-loving Israelis and
 Palestinians as well"- added MEP Gyula Hegyi (PSE)
another participant to
 the mission. 

 

Further information Luisa Morgantini 0039 348 39 21
465 or Rome Office
 0039 06 69 95 02 17

Luisa.morgantini at europarl.europa.eu
www.luisamorgantini.net
 


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