BETA


2009/2504(RSP) Resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2009/01/15
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2009/01/15
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

Following a debate which took place during the sitting of 14 January 2009, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip. The resolution had been tabled for consideration in plenary by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament referred to the Israeli military offensive in Gaza launched on 27 December in response to Hamas rocket attacks in the south of Israel. It recalled that the Israeli operation has killed about one thousand people in Gaza, many of them children and women, and caused thousands of casualties and the destruction of houses, schools and other key parts of civilian infrastructure, owing to the use of force by the Israeli army.

Parliament welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 of 8 January 2009 and regretted that so far both Israel and Hamas had failed to meet the UN request for a halt to the hostilities. It 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. It was necessary to provide arrangements and guarantees in Gaza, as demanded by the UNSC Resolution 1860, in order to sustain a durable ceasefire which included at the same time the withdrawal of the Israeli troops, the sustained re-opening of the crossing points, the lifting of the blockade and the prevention of smuggling and of illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition. Parliament had recalled that the border crossings in and out of Gaza had been closed for 18 months and the embargo on the movement of people and goods had affected the daily lives of the inhabitants and further paralysed the economy in the Strip. The embargo limited any substantial improvements in the situation in the West Bank. Parliament noted that the embargo on the Gaza Strip represented collective punishment in contravention of international humanitarian law.

It called for a negotiated truce, which should be guaranteed by a mechanism, to be set up by the international community coordinated by the Quartet and the League of Arab States, with special reference to the monitoring of the Egypt-Gaza border, which implied an important role for Egypt. Parliament encouraged the diplomatic efforts so far undertaken by the international community, especially Egypt and the EU.

It expressed its shock at the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza, strongly deploring, in particular, the fact that civilian and UN targets had been hit during the attacks. Parliament expressed its sympathy for the civilian population affected by the violence in Gaza and southern Israel.

Members called in the strongest terms on 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. The Israeli authorities were asked to allow the international press to follow events on the ground.

Parliament called on Israel to fulfil its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law, and called on Hamas to end rocket attacks and to assume its own responsibilities by committing itself to a political process aimed at restoring inter-Palestinian dialogue and contributing to the ongoing process of negotiation.

With regard to the EU, Parliament called for a stronger and more united political stance on the part of the EU and invited the Council to take the opportunity to cooperate with the new US Administration in order to put an end to the conflict with an agreement based on the two-state solution.

Lastly, Parliament stressed the great importance of renewing efforts for inter-Palestinian reconciliation between all the components of Palestinian society, based on the Mecca Agreement of 8 February 2007. This implied acceptance of the previous agreements, including the right of Israel to exist. Members underlined, in this connection, the need for a permanent geographical connection between, and the peaceful and lasting political reunification of, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Documents
2009/01/15
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2009/01/14
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2009/01/14
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2009/01/14
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2009/01/14
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2009/01/14
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2009/01/14
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2009/01/14
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents
2009/01/14
   EP - Debate in Parliament
Details

The House held a debate, following on the Council and Commission statements, on the situation in the Middle East/Gaza Strip.

A motion for a resolution closing this debate was due to be put to the vote on 15 January 2009.

Documents

Activities

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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date
2009-01-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2009-0025_EN.html title: T6-0025/2009
summary
events/2
date
2009-01-15T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2009-0025_EN.html title: T6-0025/2009
summary
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Rules of Procedure EP 132-p2
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Rules of Procedure EP 123-p2
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activities
  • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20090114&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=16640&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2009-25 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0025/2009 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
commission
  • body: EC dg: External Relations commissioner: FERRERO-WALDNER Benita
committees
    docs
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-51&language=EN title: B6-0051/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-54&language=EN title: B6-0054/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-56&language=EN title: B6-0056/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-57&language=EN title: B6-0057/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-58&language=EN title: B6-0058/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2009-59&language=EN title: B6-0059/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2009-51&language=EN title: RC-B6-0051/2009 type: Joint motion for resolution
    events
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20090114&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament summary: The House held a debate, following on the Council and Commission statements, on the situation in the Middle East/Gaza Strip. A motion for a resolution closing this debate was due to be put to the vote on 15 January 2009.
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=16640&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2009-25 title: T6-0025/2009 summary: Following a debate which took place during the sitting of 14 January 2009, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip. The resolution had been tabled for consideration in plenary by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament referred to the Israeli military offensive in Gaza launched on 27 December in response to Hamas rocket attacks in the south of Israel. It recalled that the Israeli operation has killed about one thousand people in Gaza, many of them children and women, and caused thousands of casualties and the destruction of houses, schools and other key parts of civilian infrastructure, owing to the use of force by the Israeli army. Parliament welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 of 8 January 2009 and regretted that so far both Israel and Hamas had failed to meet the UN request for a halt to the hostilities. It 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. It was necessary to provide arrangements and guarantees in Gaza, as demanded by the UNSC Resolution 1860, in order to sustain a durable ceasefire which included at the same time the withdrawal of the Israeli troops, the sustained re-opening of the crossing points, the lifting of the blockade and the prevention of smuggling and of illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition. Parliament had recalled that the border crossings in and out of Gaza had been closed for 18 months and the embargo on the movement of people and goods had affected the daily lives of the inhabitants and further paralysed the economy in the Strip. The embargo limited any substantial improvements in the situation in the West Bank. Parliament noted that the embargo on the Gaza Strip represented collective punishment in contravention of international humanitarian law. It called for a negotiated truce, which should be guaranteed by a mechanism, to be set up by the international community coordinated by the Quartet and the League of Arab States, with special reference to the monitoring of the Egypt-Gaza border, which implied an important role for Egypt. Parliament encouraged the diplomatic efforts so far undertaken by the international community, especially Egypt and the EU. It expressed its shock at the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza, strongly deploring, in particular, the fact that civilian and UN targets had been hit during the attacks. Parliament expressed its sympathy for the civilian population affected by the violence in Gaza and southern Israel. Members called in the strongest terms on 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. The Israeli authorities were asked to allow the international press to follow events on the ground. Parliament called on Israel to fulfil its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law, and called on Hamas to end rocket attacks and to assume its own responsibilities by committing itself to a political process aimed at restoring inter-Palestinian dialogue and contributing to the ongoing process of negotiation. With regard to the EU, Parliament called for a stronger and more united political stance on the part of the EU and invited the Council to take the opportunity to cooperate with the new US Administration in order to put an end to the conflict with an agreement based on the two-state solution. Lastly, Parliament stressed the great importance of renewing efforts for inter-Palestinian reconciliation between all the components of Palestinian society, based on the Mecca Agreement of 8 February 2007. This implied acceptance of the previous agreements, including the right of Israel to exist. Members underlined, in this connection, the need for a permanent geographical connection between, and the peaceful and lasting political reunification of, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
    • body: EC dg: External Relations commissioner: FERRERO-WALDNER Benita
    procedure/legal_basis/0
    Rules of Procedure EP 123-p2
    procedure/legal_basis/0
    Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
    procedure/subject
    Old
    • 6.10.04 Third-country political situation, local and regional conflicts
    New
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    Third-country political situation, local and regional conflicts
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    procedure/subject/0
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    6.10.04 Third-countries political situation, local and regional conflicts
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    6.10.04 Third-country political situation, local and regional conflicts
    activities
    • date: 2009-01-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20090114&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2009-01-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=16640&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2009-25 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0025/2009 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
    committees
      links
      other
      • body: EC dg: External Relations commissioner: FERRERO-WALDNER Benita
      procedure
      geographical_area
      reference
      2009/2504(RSP)
      title
      Resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip
      legal_basis
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
      stage_reached
      Procedure completed
      subtype
      Resolution on statements
      type
      RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
      subject
      6.10.04 Third-countries political situation, local and regional conflicts