Given the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza – particularly affecting women, children, and hostages – and the grave breaches of international humanitarian law, including attacks on journalists and humanitarian workers, international human rights bodies and the United Nations have pointed out that Israel’s actions in blocking of food, medical supplies, and access to water, may constitute acts of genocide under the Genocide Convention.
In its Resolution 2582 (2025), the Parliamentary Assembly has reminded Council of Europe member States of their binding obligations under this Convention, including the duty to prevent and punish genocide wherever possible. Despite many political statements, most member States have yet to take effective measures to influence the situation. The Council of Europe and its member States are central to upholding the international legal order, not least by respecting obligations they have themselves undertaken. The gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza requires urgent and coordinated action to uphold our core values.
Ms Kluit
To ask the Committee of Ministers:
Against this background, what are the concrete measures that the Committee of Ministers will take to prevent this genocide and to uphold and strengthen actions that arise from the international obligations of its member States and of member States of partial agreements?