According to Dora Bakoyannis (EPP, Greek), rapporteur to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the situation in the Middle East, “from a humanitarian standpoint, the situation has long since surpassed our worst nightmares”.
In a statement published on Monday 28 July, she said that “calling on the Israeli government to do everything within its power to stop this tragedy cannot be labelled as antisemitism. 74% of Israeli society, including former prime ministers and senior IDF officials, demand the same”.
“The original objectives of bringing back the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities have been sidelined by goals that are internationally illegal and, regrettably, openly declared: the annexation of Gaza and the displacement of its population”, added the MEP before concluding: “This catastrophe must not be allowed to continue. The hostages must be brought home. The indiscriminate suffering of civilians must cease. The world is watching, history is recording, and the responsibility to choose humanity over political calculations rests squarely on the shoulders of the leaders involved”.
“Images of starvation, mass displacement, widespread killings, and utter destruction do anything other than strengthen Hamas’s narrative, while severely undermining Israel’s position”, adds Dora Bakoyannis. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)