The European Parliament adopted by 459 to 113 votes with 60 abstentions a resolution on the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine.
The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, and ALDE groups.
It called for an end to rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, which Hamas and other armed groups must cease immediately, and for an end to the Israeli military action against Gaza. Parliament recalled that direct peace talks between the parties had stalled and all recent efforts to resume negotiations have failed. Denouncing both the murders of the three Israeli teenagers on 12 June and the Palestinian teenager on 2 July 2014, Members stressed the need for all sides fully to respect international humanitarian law, and said that there could be no justification for the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians, which was a war crime in international law, and for the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
They called again for the EU to play a more active role in the efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace, and an immediate de-escalation of the conflict through a ceasefire agreement and for direct talks between the two sides. Parliament called on the High Representative / Vice-President and the Member States to step up diplomatic pressure in order to support these actions. The UN, and key regional actors, notably Egypt and Jordan, must continue their efforts to calm the situation.
Lastly, Parliament reiterated its strong support for the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, with the secure State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security, which would imply the lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. It stressed again that non-violent means were the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.