The absolute and urgent need to end the humanitarian crisis for women, children and the hostages in Gaza
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 28 January 2025 (4th sitting) (see Doc. 16093 and add., report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and
Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Ms Saskia Kluit). Text adopted by the Assembly on
28 January 2025 (4th sitting).
1. The Parliamentary Assembly has
condemned in the strongest possible terms, from the outset, the appalling
terrorist attack by Hamas and other militias against Israel on 7 October
2023. It continues to do so. The murders, hostage taking and all
other crimes, not least sexual assaults, committed during this attack constitute
a complete violation of human rights and human dignity, for which
the perpetrators must be held accountable. The Assembly reiterates
its call for the immediate release to their families and homes of
all hostages still held in captivity and calls on Hamas to grant
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to those
hostages without delay. The Assembly welcomes the conclusion of
a three-phase ceasefire agreement to suspend military operations
in the Gaza Strip and facilitate the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
It welcomes the implementation of its first phase, from 19 January
2025, as a crucial and positive step forward and calls on all parties
to respect this commitment so that the three phases are fully implemented and
lead to a long-lasting peace.
2. The military campaign launched by Israel in Gaza in response
to the attack on 7 October continued for fifteen months, causing
an unimaginable humanitarian crisis. The whole Gaza Strip is under
control by the State of Israel, and especially besieged northern
Gaza. During Israel’s military campaign, more than 46 000 people
have lost their lives and more than 109 000 civilians have been
injured, including a large number of women and children, who make
up 70% of the victims. The hostages are exposed to the same humanitarian crisis
as the civilians in Gaza, further compounded by their captivity.
Many medical and humanitarian workers, including 265 people working
for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East (UNRWA), have died. A conservative estimate is
that 120 000 people have died from ailments and diseases which could
not be properly treated or managed, due to the severe damage to
the healthcare system in Gaza. Entire sections of the infrastructure
of society in Gaza – homes, schools, hospitals and medical facilities
– are now completely destroyed or unable to function. In recent
months, the conflict has escalated to other areas, such as Lebanon,
Syria and the West Bank, where the same pattern and effects of attacks
on civilian areas and humanitarian aid structures can be observed.
3. The Assembly cannot remain silent concerning the fact that
women and children are without any shadow of doubt the main innocent
victims of the conflict, as was also apparent in the horrific 7 October
attack on Israel. In May 2024, the Gaza Ministry of Health put the
number of children killed in this period at 14 100 and on 16 September
published a list containing the names of 11 000 dead children who
were able to be identified. These figures do not include the many
more children who are missing, detained, buried under rubble, separated
from their families or without any family, or those who have lost
their lives indirectly as a result of the conflict. At the same
time, the entire population of Israel, including children, has been
subject to continuous, indiscriminate rocket attacks targeting the
civilian population. According to United Nations special rapporteurs, more
than 183 women a day are giving birth without pain relief, while
hundreds of babies have died because of the lack of electricity
to power incubators.
4. The Assembly points to the responsibilities of Hamas, not
only for the massacre of 7 October but also for its protracted refusal
to free the hostages unconditionally, as called for by the United
Nations, and to give the ICRC essential access to them.
5. The Assembly refers to its
Resolution 2524 (2024) “Recent developments
in the Middle East: Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel and Israel’s
response” adopted on 23 January 2024, in which it pointed to the
loss of thousands of lives, massive displacement and widespread
destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure in Gaza and voiced
its sorrow and dismay at the staggering number of innocent casualties
in the Gaza Strip. It also notes that many parliamentarians spoke
in favour of an immediate ceasefire in the current affairs debates entitled
“War in Gaza: ensuring the release of the hostages, the implementation
of an immediate ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian aid”
and “Situation in the Middle East: escalation of violence and mounting humanitarian
crisis, particularly in Gaza”, held respectively on 27 June and
1 October 2024.
6. Today, the Assembly expresses its deep concern that the humanitarian
situation in Gaza, which was already under stress before October
2023 and clearly dire at the time of
Resolution 2524 (2024), has deteriorated
further as a result of the fifteen months of military operations
in Gaza. The Assembly cannot accept that this humanitarian crisis
could be portrayed or seen as inevitable or be allowed to become
the “new normal”. The incessant bombing and ground operations of
Israel are only adding to the death toll of innocent civilians. The
winter weather only exacerbates the already inhuman and degrading
living conditions of the people of Gaza and the hostages held by
Hamas, who are subjected to an infernal cycle of suffering. The
Assembly cannot remain silent while thousands of children continue
to die and suffer life-altering injuries on a daily basis, especially
in a situation where they have no means of escape and no access
to even the most basic humanitarian services or assistance. This
represents a blatant violation of children’s rights under the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 1949 Geneva Conventions
and their 1977 additional protocols.
7. The Assembly underlines that humanitarian organisations working
in Gaza – whose ability to work on the ground is severely hampered,
if not almost totally disrupted – sounded the alarm at two hearings
held by the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable
Development on 13 and 30 September 2024. These organisations reported
that the majority of people in the Gaza Strip have little or no
access to basic foodstuffs and hygiene products, drinking water,
electricity or heating. Approximately 90% of the population has
been displaced at least once and some even up to 15 times. Every
displacement results in the loss of necessary goods and contact
with family and relations, and worse living conditions. People are
living in makeshift shelters, made from plastic tarpaulin, which
are unusable in winter as they have already been partly destroyed
by the recent rains. They are concentrated in small, overcrowded
areas, where rubbish is piling up because it cannot be disposed
of or treated. As a result, preventable diseases and infections
have spread among the already vulnerable population. At the same
time, the Assembly must point out that over 120 000 Israelis have
been evacuated from their homes near the borders with Gaza and Lebanon
during the war, and that over half of these people have still not
been able to return home safely.
8. The healthcare system of Gaza is on the brink of collapse
due to the widespread destruction of medical infrastructure and
the lack of supplies of essential goods resulting from administrative
and physical restrictions imposed by the parties to the conflict,
particularly the State of Israel. As a result, the population and
hostages in Gaza have often no access to essential medicine, such
as insulin or blood pressure medication. In a situation where potentially
fatal injuries are common, surgical dressings and essential medicines
are hard to come by and there are no longer enough blood supplies
to meet even half of the needs. Surgery, when it can be performed,
is mainly carried out in field hospitals set up in tents.
9. The Assembly refers to the United Nations General Assembly
Resolution of 10 December 2023 demanding a ceasefire and humanitarian
access to Gaza (A/ES-10/L.27). In Resolution 2024/2508(RSP) adopted
on 18 January 2024 and entitled “The humanitarian situation in Gaza,
the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation”,
the European Parliament also called for a permanent ceasefire and
for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to the
Gaza Strip. On 26 January 2024, the International Court of Justice
issued an order stating that “Israel must, in accordance with its
obligations under the Genocide Convention, in relation to Palestinians
in Gaza, take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of
all acts within the scope of Article II of this Convention” and
“take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of
urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address
the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip”. To this day, this order has not been acted upon or implemented.
On 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued two
warrants of arrest for Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and for Mr Yoav Gallant,
for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least
8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.
10. Echoing and reinforcing these calls, and in the light of the
further dramatic deterioration in the humanitarian situation in
Gaza, the Assembly urges all parties to the hostilities, in particular
Israel to:
10.1 reach a permanent
and unconditional ceasefire;
10.2 pending such a ceasefire, ensure that attacks do not destroy
more civilian lives and civilian infrastructure, in particular hospitals,
refugee zones and schools. The Assembly stresses that these are important
protections under international humanitarian law;
10.3 refrain from using civilian infrastructure and humans
as a shield;
10.4 ensure that attacks do not harm humanitarian personnel
and structures and guarantee that humanitarian missions and their
staff can carry out their work in safety and under appropriate conditions;
10.5 immediately and unconditionally repeal the ban on the
UNRWA imposed by Israel;
10.6 ensure strict and immediate compliance with international
humanitarian law and standards, including with the principles of
humanity, distinction and proportionality, at all times, in particular
to:
10.6.1 immediately grant full, rapid, safe and unhindered
access by humanitarian aid organisations to the Gaza Strip and to
ensure that the adequate supply of essential goods in the Gaza Strip,
such as food, water, medical equipment and medicines, fuel and shelter,
is guaranteed for all Palestinians, in particular women and children,
and for the hostages in Gaza;
10.6.2 respect the “deconfliction” zones and ensure safe working
conditions for humanitarian aid workers;
10.6.3 protect civilians, in particular women, children and other
vulnerable groups, especially wounded children with no surviving
family;
10.6.4 ensure that neonatal care facilities are established and
protected at all times;
10.6.5 enable the stabilisation of the condition of the most
seriously wounded;
10.6.6 immediately and unconditionally facilitate medical evacuations,
in particular of children and their families and of pregnant women
and their families;
10.6.7 provide adequate, permanent areas where families can stay
and children can play in safety.
11. The Assembly reiterates the importance of free press in a
democratic society and the responsibilities of the parties to the
conflict in guaranteeing safety for journalists, especially when
working in zones of military conflict. Journalists are entitled
to protection as civilians under international humanitarian law.
The Assembly calls on Israel to immediately allow access to the
Gaza Strip for local and foreign journalists and for international
organisations responsible for providing information or carrying
out investigations, and to facilitate their work in safe conditions.
12. The Assembly calls on Council of Europe member States to comply
with their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and to use their influence
in every way possible to remind the parties to the conflict of obligations
under this convention and of the need to respect minimum humanitarian
standards, including those set out in the Geneva Conventions. In particular,
the following basic principles should be respected: civilians must
be spared from military strikes; the wounded and sick must be collected
and cared for; impartial humanitarian organisations must be able
at all times to offer their services to alleviate suffering without
this being considered as interference; and certain acts against
protected persons, including women and children, are prohibited
at all times and in all places.
13. In this context, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member
and observer States, as well as States whose parliament enjoys observer
or partner for democracy status with the Assembly, to play an active
role in addressing the current humanitarian emergency in Gaza and
its future consequences, in particular as regards:
13.1 the support to and provision
of emergency humanitarian aid without delay, including the allocation of
sufficient funding for non-governmental organisations and international
structures delivering humanitarian aid, enabling them to strengthen
their workforce;
13.2 the restoration of vital infrastructure, in particular
hospitals and that needed to deliver humanitarian aid, to immediate
working order;
13.3 the provision of emergency food aid;
13.4 the provision of appropriate physical and mental healthcare
for the children, women, healthcare providers and medical and humanitarian
staff who are suffering and will continue to suffer from the trauma
caused by the armed conflict;
13.5 the construction of safe emergency shelters and decent
housing for families and children;
13.6 the provision of education without incitement of hatred,
and activities in safe physical settings for children and the reconstruction
of schools as soon as possible;
13.7 the removal of rubbish and the restoration of sewage and
sanitation systems;
13.8 the reception of persons requiring medical evacuation
and the provision of specialised medical care within their countries
to those persons.
14. The Assembly considers that the observer status and the partner
for democracy status with the Assembly bring with them the duty
and responsibility to uphold the values of the Council of Europe.
The humanitarian crisis existing today in Gaza is in complete contradiction
to these duties and responsibilities. The Assembly therefore urges
Israel and Palestine, whose parliaments enjoy respectively observer
status and partner for democracy status with the Assembly, to do
everything in their power to end without any further delay this
conflict and put a stop to the suffering of the people in Gaza,
including that of the hostages, thereby demonstrating with this
resolute action their full commitment to the values of the Council
of Europe in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of
law.
15. The Assembly will closely monitor the follow-up given to its
above-mentioned requests to all parties to the hostilities, including
for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire, the immediate
release of all hostages and concrete and immediate measures to end
the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It refers to the possibility of
returning to this question at a forthcoming part-session, with a
view to assessing whether further steps are necessary in the light
of the commitment shown to the values of the Council of Europe by
States whose parliament enjoys observer status with the Assembly.
