From 10 to 14 December, a Greens/EFA delegation of seven Members of the European Parliament travelled to East Jerusalem and the West Bank. I personally visited Yad Vashem before this mission and organised an exchange with Israeli civil society in Tel Aviv before departing to Jerusalem.
The goal of our five-day mission to Palestine was to see the situation on the ground, listen to people directly affected, and assess developments that are often discussed in Europe without enough attention to daily reality.
During the mission, we met with Palestinian civil society organisations, researchers, international organisations, and residents in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Susya in Masafer Yatta. Everywhere we went, people told us the same thing: the situation has sharply deteriorated over the last two years.
While there is a ceasefire in Gaza on paper, little has changed for Palestinians. Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continue, with new attacks reported even during our visit. The Israeli military still controls more than 50 percent of Gaza, and military operations in the West Bank are intensifying and becoming more violent.
Gaza: a ceasefire that does not protect civilians
Access to Gaza remains heavily restricted. Journalists, independent observers, and international organisations are largely kept out. As a result, the world knows the situation is dramatic, but there are very limited ways to independently verify what is happening.
What is clear is this: the ceasefire is fragile and does not deliver for Palestinians.
Since the ceasefire began, around 360 Palestinians have been killed, including an average of two children per day. People continue to be displaced, homes are destroyed, and a man-made humanitarian crisis persists.
Palestinians were not involved in negotiations around the US-led so-called “peace plan”. Their role is reduced to a future technocratic committee, under international supervision, while key actors such as the EU and the UN are sidelined. Decisions about Gaza are being made without Palestinians.
During our stay, we experienced three days of heavy rain and strong winds. We could seek shelter. Families in Gaza could not. We thought of people living in soaked tents, with winter clothing and shelter materials still blocked, and humanitarian aid still restricted by Israeli authorities. The contrast was stark and deeply troubling.
The West Bank: escalation in the shadow of Gaza
While international attention focuses on Gaza, the situation in the West Bank is deteriorating rapidly. One message from our mission was unmistakable: all eyes must also be on the West Bank.
In the shadow of the war in Gaza, the Israeli extreme-right government, the Israeli army, and the settler movement are pushing forward what amounts to de facto annexation.
We witnessed a dramatic rise in violence and repression:
- Palestinians are evicted, homes demolished, and building permits systematically denied
- Settlements and illegal outposts are expanding, financially supported by the Israeli government
- Settler violence is increasing, almost always without consequences
Daily life is shaped by discrimination and restriction. Palestinians are forced to use separate roads, are barred from walking on certain streets, and face an ever-growing system of checkpoints and permanent barriers. People told us of spending entire nights at closed checkpoints just to get home. Many communities lack reliable access to water, electricity, and public services.
There is also a dual legal system. Palestinians live under Israeli military law in the West Bank, while Israeli settlers are subject to Israeli civilian law. The same offence can lead to completely different outcomes. Many Palestinians are held in administrative detention, without charge or trial.
We also saw a growing and open disregard for international law. Just days before our visit, the Israeli military and violent settlers raided the main UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, tore down the UN flag, and raised an Israeli flag. There are now plans to move settlers into the building. This is a clear violation of UN immunities and an unacceptable provocation.
We visited a UNRWA school and a health centre in a Palestinian refugee camp. What we saw confirmed how indispensable UNRWA is for education, healthcare, and basic stability for Palestinian refugees.
Why Europe cannot look away
In September, the European Commission presented several possible responses to Israel’s actions. Since the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, nothing has happened.
Our mission shows that violence continues and that consequences are needed. We stand in solidarity with the people of Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. Rising antisemitism, including the tragic attack at Bondi Beach, reminds us where hatred and racism lead. Also in Germany antisemitism has been growing in the last two years. This must be confronted decisively, everywhere.
At the same time, the actions of the current Israeli government require consequences, not just words.
Our political demands
What we demand from the Israeli government
- Full and unconditional access to Gaza for humanitarian aid, winterisation support, tents, international media, and independent observers. All remaining restrictions must be lifted, all crossings opened, and aid delivery guaranteed at all times.
- Immediate release of Palestinian tax revenues withheld by Israel. These funds are essential for the Palestinian Authority, which is barely able to pay salaries or provide basic services.
- An immediate halt to demolitions, settlement expansion, forced displacement, and all forms of de facto annexation across the West Bank.
What we demand from the European Union
- Suspend the EU–Israel Association Agreement, starting with the trade chapter, as Israel is in breach of its human rights obligations.
- Targeted sanctions against Israeli officials, extremist ministers, settlers and settler organisations as well as their donors, and individuals responsible for annexation, violence, and incitement.
- A ban on European investments in illegal settlements and a prohibition on the import of settler goods and services, as required by international law.
- Full support for the ICC and ICJ, including activating the blocking statute to protect them from external pressure.
- Increased support to Israelis and Palestinian civil society that fights for peaceful solutions, rule of law and the protection of human rights.
- Meaningful Palestinian participation at every stage of political decision-making. There can be no decisions about Palestine without Palestinians.
- Stronger support for Palestinian civil society, which delivers essential services and is increasingly under attack, alongside sustained support for the Palestinian Authority.
- A genuine commitment to Palestinian self-determination, based on inclusive political solutions, international law, and accountability.
More in this press release.
Final reflection
This mission did not show a situation that is stabilising.
It showed one that is slipping further into injustice, violence, and lawlessness. All our interlocutors made it very clear: Europe has influence. The question is whether it has the courage to use it. Or whether it pretends that all is fine now, with a ceasefire officially in place. This is exactly what I talked about in my plenary speech in the European Parliament on 16 December.
