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- Ελληνικά
In the context of the work of the Fourth Part of the 2023 Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), MP Mr. George Loucaides, speaking yesterday on behalf of the Political Group of the European United Left, participated in a debate on the escalating tension in the Middle East following the recent Hamas attack on Israel.
Condemning the violent terrorist attack by Hamas, Mr. Loucaides paid tribute to all the innocent victims of the new conflict, both Israelis and Palestinians.
Condemning the violent terrorist attack by Hamas, Mr. Loucaides paid tribute to all the innocent victims of the new conflict, both Israelis and Palestinians. The far-right Hamas organisation, he said, has done a terrible service to the just cause of the Palestinian people. Making it clear that nothing can justify the crimes committed by Hamas, he added that it is important to take into account the bigger picture and in particular the consequences of the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the discriminatory system and the systemic human rights violations against the Palestinians that have created an apartheid regime.
Previous resolutions of the Convention document the deplorable living conditions and gross violation of the human rights of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, he pointed out, which is an open-air prison, while at the same time, the relevant recommendations of the Convention have not been implemented. He further noted the absence of any progress towards achieving a peaceful two-state solution and the reluctance of Israeli governments from 2024 onwards to enter into negotiations with the Palestinians.
The current volatile situation, he noted, carries the risk of provoking a wider conflagration in the region. Accordingly, both sides should take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions, thereby safeguarding the interests of both the Israeli and Palestinian people. The European United Left considers the relevant statement by the UN Secretary General and the Joint Statement by the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council to be correct and constructive, particularly with regard to the need for a political settlement and an end to the bloodshed, the immediate release of hostages, the protection of the civilian population and compliance with the parties' contractual obligations under international humanitarian law, as well as unhindered access to basic goods for the Palestinians. A political solution, he concluded, based on international law and relevant UN resolutions providing for a solution of two sovereign states within the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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