For the release of the hostages held in Gaza

Written declaration No. 794 | Doc. 15970 | 16 April 2024

Signatories:

Mr Claude KERN, France, ALDE ; Ms Boriana ÅBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Mehmet AKALIN, Türkiye, ALDE ; Ms Larysa BILOZIR, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Olivier BITZ, France, ALDE ; Mr François BONNEAU, France, ALDE ; Mr Bertrand BOUYX, France, ALDE ; Mr Iulian BULAI, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Christophe CHAILLOU, France, SOC ; Ms Bernadeta COMA, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Titus CORLĂŢEAN, Romania, SOC ; Mr Rik DAEMS, Belgium, ALDE ; Ms Marie-Christine DALLOZ, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Piero FASSINO, Italy, SOC ; Mr Thibaut FRANÇOIS, France, EC/DA ; Ms Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Sona GHAZARYAN , Armenia, ALDE ; Mr Joël GIRAUD, France, ALDE ; Ms Valentina GRIPPO, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ LIMONES, Spain, SOC ; Mr Thomas HASLER, Liechtenstein, ALDE ; Mr Petri HONKONEN, Finland, ALDE ; Ms Gyde JENSEN, Germany, ALDE ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Olena KHOMENKO, Ukraine, EC/DA ; Mr Christian KLINGER, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Yevheniia KRAVCHUK, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Max LUCKS, Germany, SOC ; Mr Matthieu MARCHIO, France, EC/DA ; Mr Didier MARIE, France, SOC ; Mr Alain MILON, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Denisa Elena NEAGU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Marco NICOLINI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr George PAPANDREOU, Greece, SOC ; Mr Ryszard PETRU, Poland, ALDE ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Nathalie SERRE, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Lesia VASYLENKO, Ukraine, ALDE

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

Currently, 130 abducted people are still detained in the Gaza Strip (111 men, 19 women, including two children) in addition to the four abducted people detained by Hamas and Islamic Jihad before 7 October 2023. At least 36 of the abducted people are no longer alive and Hamas is holding their bodies in Gaza.

So far, 123 abducted people have been released, including 88 Israelis and 24 foreigners. Eight people abducted and murdered were found by the Israel Defense Forces.

Hamas holds 134 abducted people in violation of international law and in complete denial of their rights. The abducted people have never been visited by the Red Cross or other humanitarian associations. Military pressure on Hamas is essential to achieve the objectives of the war, the surrender of Hamas and the release of the abducted people.

We condemn Hamas for these barbaric acts and the abduction of civilians or soldiers and call on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to use all the levers at its disposal to obtain the immediate release of all persons abducted and detained in Gaza.

This is the essential prerequisite for any negotiation, with a view to a ceasefire.