The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP) has urged on Tuesday EU leaders to provide assistance to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to investigate and prosecute Israel for war crimes committed in Palestinian territories.
The resolution draft, proposed by Evin Incir of the Swedish Social Democrats party, was approved by 41 members of the committee, while 24 opposed it and nine abstained.
The committee’s resolution, expected to be voted on during the EP plenum on July 15, references a United Nations resolution from December 2022, initiated by the Palestinians, which requested the ICC to provide an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
However, it is uncertain whether the sponsors have the majority required to pass the resolution, and the next steps remain unclear if it is passed.
The EP resolution expressed concern about the Israeli government’s punitive measures against Palestinians, including withholding funds and implementing construction moratoriums in West Bank Area C.
The resolution also criticized Israel’s policy of demolishing homes and buildings constructed without permits, including EU-funded schools in small Palestinian villages.
Furthermore, the resolution called for the EU to strengthen its ties with the Palestinian Authority.
Evin Incir tweeted after the debate, advocating for increased cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and assistance to end the occupation, highlighting that Palestinians have endured more than 50 years of occupation.
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