Gaza conflict

Richard Goldstone, head of the UN fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict, presents his report to the UN Human Rights Council today. The report sets out clear evidence that both Israel and Hamas committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and that neither side has taken serious steps to undertake effective investigations or hold perpetrators accountable. A related UN resolution is expected to be adopted on Friday, with some EU Member States however reluctant to support the report's conclusions.

Greens/EFA MEPs Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group), Heidi Hautala (Chair of the EP human rights subcommittee) and Eva Joly (Chair of the EP development committee) commented (1):

"EU Member States must demonstrate that they are united and consistent in their commitment to upholding human rights. We therefore call on all EU Member States to support the UN fact-finding report on the Gaza Conflict and to fully endorse its conclusions and recommendations in the UN Human Rights Council. This support would underline the EU's engagement towards accountability for all who commit human rights violations. Justice is an essential element for progress on peace negotiations.

As the Goldstone report underlines, "international law sets obligations on states not only to respect but also to ensure respect for international humanitarian law".  If the EU fails to call for accountability for alleged war crimes now, it will damage its future credibility as a key actor for international justice."

Notes to editors:

At the request of Heidi Hautala and Eva Joly, Richard Goldstone has been invited to a joint meeting of EP committees, to be scheduled on 15 October (tbc).