Check against delivery! 

Dear President, Excellencies,

More than six months after the Hamas terrorist attacks, that we continue condemning in the strongest possible terms, the war started in Gaza. This is a watershed moment for the Middle East. We had yesterday the meeting with the Gulf countries [EU-GCC High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation] and this was very high on our agenda.

The recent Iranian strikes against Israel was also a clear escalatory attack, but we must not forget at the same time the gravity of human suffering in Gaza. The figures are there: more than 34,000 people killed, mostly civilians, women, children, twice this number wounded, 75% of the population displaced, at the brink of famine. We know that dozens of children have been already starved to death.

The cities in Gaza have been more destroyed than the German cities during the Second World War – just imagine the comparison.

A recent Interim Damage Assessment by the World Bank and by the United Nations, which has been supported financially by the European Union, assessed the direct damage at about $19 billion. This would be the cost of rebuilding the infrastructure of Gaza. [This is how it] was at the end of January 2024, so imagine now, [the situation is] much worse. I can say that more than 60% of the physical infrastructure has been damaged, and 35% fully destroyed.

At least 249 aid workers have been killed - I am talking about aid workers - according to the United Nations, since the 7th of October. Among them, 181 United Nations staff. I think that we have to pay tribute to all aid agencies, including UNRWA, which – UNRWA alone – have lost 178 employees.

Then come these Israeli strikes against the convoy of the World Central Kitchen that killed seven humanitarian workers, while they were delivering aid to the most vulnerable in Gaza.

But keep in mind, we were very moved by these seven people being killed, but before them there were 249, also being killed and maybe we were not as moved. People around the world say, “yes, that is very bad. These seven humanitarian workers deserve all our homage, but keep in mind that together there were 249 more”.

Together with Commissioner [for Crisis Management, Janez] Lenarčič, we publicly called for a credible investigation.

We are also appalled by the number of journalists and media workers which have been killed by the strikes in Gaza: about 100 journalists and media workers as per Reporters Without Borders’ recount, in less than six months. This is unprecedented. Journalists are civilians and their voices are crucial to keeping disinformation at bay and citizens being informed.

We are also concerned about the newly adopted legislation giving temporary power to the Israeli Government to prevent foreign media networks from operating in Israel. This, coupled with the lack of access to foreign media to Gaza, raises further concerns about what we know about what is going [on] there. 

We have to repeat once again that Israel must respect international law, implement the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures, ensure the protection of all civilians, and allow humanitarian workers to do their lifesaving job without being targeted.

For the first time, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) recognised, that it was a dramatic error, that it was a mistake, the killing of these humanitarian workers. The question is: how many mistakes have been happening before, without being recognised? 

We insist on the fact that journalists have to be protected, and [have] to [be] granted access to Gaza to ensure the freedom of press. 

The European Council has insisted – and I am here representing the common ground of all Member States according to the conclusions of the European Council – that an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance are the guidelines of the European Union, as decided by the European Council on the last 17^th of April. 

But we have to do more and ask everybody to do more to protect civilians, and ease the humanitarian catastrophe by increasing the flow of humanitarian aid, which is [unimpeded], which is not [without] obstacles. Yes, there are obstacles.

Yesterday, my colleague [Janez] Lenarčič was explaining the number of conditions that this aid has to fulfil in order to be allowed to come into Gaza. We need more access by land routes, more access points.

The recent decisions by Israel to open the Ashdod port and the Erez crossing points are positive news, but they have to be implemented. It is not a matter of “announcing”, it is a matter of “doing”. And for the time being, it is done at a very slow pace and very low quantity. This is a fact. 

Quicker checks and better distribution remain crucial to alleviate people’s suffering. And is crucial that Israel complies with the UN Security Council’s binding resolution 2728 demanding full humanitarian access. And on that also, the Europeans are fully behind. 

Finally, a ground operation in Rafah must be avoided. There are more than 1.3 million people on the streets of Rafah, without no more shelter than a piece of plastic over their heads. The humanitarian consequences would be catastrophic. Everybody is saying that – the United States, the European Union, Member States. We insisted in the G7. We insisted at the Foreign Affairs Council.

And then, we have to say that the work of UNRWA has to be supported. And yesterday, the former Minister [for Foreign Affairs of France] Catherine Colonna’s report, that UN Secretary-General [Antonio] Guterres tasked her to do has been issued. I think that it is important to read this report. It is important to know what this very independent and very professional group of people have been studying and what they tell us.

I think there is a strong convergence of views between the analysis and recommendations of this Independent Review Group with the measures that we have been discussing at the European Union institutions. We are now waiting to see how do we continue our cooperation with UNRWA, because what the report says is that, they have not found any proof of the accusations made against some workers of UNRWA. And that, yes, there is some problem of political neutrality – but this is one thing, and another thing is to participate in the terrorist attacks of the 7^th of October. 

We welcome the UNRWA cooperation and, as Ms Colonna said, it is an irreplaceable lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people; calling the international community to fund UNRWA in order to make this institution to continue their work.

I have to pay tribute to the seven humanitarian workers killed when they worked at the World Central Kitchen, but also the 249 people who were killed before. I have to pay tribute to all the victims: of the Hamas attack, and the Israeli army against Gaza, to the more than 100 journalists and media reporters.

We have to ask this tragedy to end. And I repeat: the European Council asked for the implementation of the United Nations’ resolution; asked for the immediate release of the hostages; asked for more access for humanitarian; asked for a humanitarian pause that brings to a permanent ceasefire, and most importantly, asked to look for a political solution. 

We cannot say, “this is just a humanitarian problem”. It is, and it has to be immediately faced, but it is a political problem. And we have to join our forces, as we agreed to do yesterday with the Gulf countries, in order to look for a political solution that can only be based – I believe, we believe, at the European Union – on the two-state solution. And if there is someone that does not believe in that solution, then he has to tell us which is the alternative.

You do not want the Palestinians to have their own state, in order to live in peace and security side by side with Israel? If you do not want this solution, you have to tell the international community which other solutions you have in mind, in order to ensure peace, prosperity, and security for these two people that for too many years have been fighting for the same land. 

We condemn all terrorist activities, but we want humanitarian law being respected. We want the hostilities to stop, humanitarian support to come in, the hostages being released and a political process to [be] put in place in order to look for a political solution to this dramatic war.

Thank you. 

• Link to the video: https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstreaming/plenary-session_20240423-0900-PLENARY (The recording will be available soon on ebs)

Closing remarks  

Estamos hablando de un tema extraordinariamente sensible y emotivo. Estamos hablando de la vida y de la muerte de muchas personas. Estamos hablando de un conflicto que enfrenta a dos pueblos que se reclaman cada uno de ellos como el propietario de una tierra. Y eso dura ya casi cien años.  

Es natural que la emoción esté a flor de piel, y que se utilicen a veces descalificaciones que no vienen a cuento. Que la emoción, a veces intenta o es inevitable que supere a la razón. 

Y eso que a nosotros no nos han matado a nadie. No hemos sido víctimas de un ataque terrorista ni han matado los miembros de nuestra familia o destruido nuestras casas. A pesar de eso, la emoción y la confrontación está presente en este debate; con que imagínense ustedes lo que puede ocurrir a los que son las víctimas en este drama. De un lado y del otro.  

Por eso mi papel aquí tiene que ser aportarles a ustedes información lo más precisa posible para que ustedes formen su criterio y su acción política.  

Se ha hablado hoy por aquí por ejemplo, mucho y yo también he hablado, del informe de la señora Colonna. Nuestra antigua colega del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores francés ha hecho un informe encargado por las Naciones Unidas, que, como ella misma dice, no se debe confundir con otro informe que está llevando a cabo la Oficina de Auditoría Interna de las Naciones Unidas sobre las acusaciones contra personas concretas, individuos del staff de UNRWA. 

[En] el informe de la señora Colona, muy en concreto, lo que creo que [se] dice y hay que retener, es que UNRWA es una organización indispensable e irremplazable. Indispensable e irremplazable para proveer servicios a todos los palestinos que habitan en la región - y son millones de personas.  

Los recalca, eso tiene que ser dicho. También dice que la honra tiene un sistema de procedimientos y mecanismos de control que, desde el punto de vista de su neutralidad y su funcionamiento interno, son comparables con los de otras agencias de las Naciones Unidas. 

Señala una serie de áreas en las que es posible mejorar porque, como dice Catherine Colonna, siempre es posible mejorar. Señala 8 áreas en las que es posible mejorar a través de 50 recomendaciones. Pero también dice en su informe que Israel no ha proporcionado evidencia de las acusaciones de que un cierto número de agentes de UNRWA son miembros de organizaciones terroristas. 

Lo leo: “The claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organisations, Israel has yet to be providing supporting evidence of this.”  

Todavía eso tiene que ser demostrado. Por lo tanto atengámonos a los hechos, sabiendo, como la ministra dice, que hay dos informes distintos y que no deberíamos mezclarlos. 

Sobre la realidad del terreno, ustedes la han descrito, las cosas son realmente terribles. Yo lo he dicho muchas muchas veces: un horror no justifica otro horror.  

Todos tenemos que trabajar para superar estas dramáticas circunstancias a través de las tres cosas que podemos intentar hacer. Que haya una suspensión de las hostilidades que conduzca a un alto el fuego permanente. Que la ayuda humanitaria entre masivamente y en este momento no lo hace. Y que pongamos en marcha que se liberen los rehenes, obviamente, hay que recordarlo y repetirlo. Y que se ponga en marcha un proceso político que permita buscar una solución a esta lucha secular para que los dos pueblos que reclaman la misma tierra puedan vivir en ella separados - porque no parece que juntos puedan hacerlo - pero construyendo juntos una paz y seguridad común.  

Y en eso es en lo que estamos trabajando, con todas las limitaciones que tenemos.  

Ya saben ustedes que esto es un tema muy divisivo en la Unión Europea. No todos los Estados miembros votan igual cuando llega el momento de votar en las Naciones Unidas. Lo veremos dentro de pocos días, cuando se vote la propuesta para que Palestina sea reconocida como no un observador, sino como un miembro de pleno derecho de las Naciones Unidas.  

Mientras tanto, intentemos superar las emociones y construyamos desde la razón, desde el derecho y desde el respeto de los derechos humanos, a superar esta terrible tragedia que a todos nos llena de emoción. Cuanto más se ve en las imágenes, más todavía.  

Una emoción compartida, una condena a todas las actividades terroristas que causan y han causado también víctimas civiles, y una llamada a que un Estado democrático - sí, democrático, como es el Estado de Israel - utilice su fuerza al ejercer su derecho a la defensa, de manera que sea compatible con el derecho internacional y el derecho humanitario.  

La gran pregunta que ustedes han hecho hoy y que lógicamente se hace la comunidad internacional es: ¿si es así o no?  

Para eso tenemos instituciones. Para eso tenemos una Corte Internacional de Justicia. Para eso tenemos tribunales, que tienen la capacidad de analizar sobre el terreno lo que ocurre - cosa que yo no tengo y ustedes tampoco - para poder hacer algo más que una declaración llena de emoción, un análisis riguroso de los hechos como son.  

Y eso es lo que creo que este Parlamento y todas las instituciones de la Unión Europea tienen el deber de intentar hacer. Ojalá que este debate haya servido para eso. Seguramente es el último que este Parlamento hace sobre esta cuestión.  

Conjurémonos pues, para dentro y fuera de esta casa donde los pueblos de Europa están representados a trabajar, para que palestinos e israelitas puedan vivir en paz y en seguridad cada uno en su propio Estado.  

Muchas gracias. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-256048  

Panel de asistente cerrado