Two years after the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the beginning of the ever-escalating military actions of the Israeli government, the European Parliament once again discussed how Europe can contribute to a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. The debate took place against the backdrop of new peace negotiations, which include, among other things, a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a partial withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza. The Parliament had already made it clear in a resolution last month: There is a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza – the blockade of humanitarian aid must end immediately. At the same time, many Members of Parliament called for the recognition of the State of Palestine to give new momentum to the two-state solution.

As the Greens/EFA, we also pushed for a plenary debate on the “Global Sumud Flotilla” and the unlawful Israeli response to a peaceful mission delivering humanitarian aid, in which two of our MEPs took part.

In my speech, I reminded everyone that families in Israel are still mourning the victims of October 7, while hostages endure unbearable suffering in captivity. In Gaza, on the other hand, families cannot even mourn – they are struggling to survive under bombardment, while in the West Bank settlers are terrorizing people. This spiral of violence must finally end. But our responsibility as Europeans does not end with a political deal: reconstruction needs resources, peace needs protection, healing needs professionals – and justice needs accountability.