On Gaza at breaking point: EU action to combat famine, the urgent need to release hostages and move towards a two-state solution

B100381/2025

European Parliament resolution on Gaza at breaking point: EU action to combat famine, the urgent need to release hostages and move towards a two-state solution

(2025/2825(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas on 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a murderous assault on Israel in which it killed, raped and tortured over a thousand men, women and children indiscriminately, and took at least 250 people to Gaza as hostages, including children; whereas 49 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom fewer than 20 are believed to be alive; whereas released hostages have recounted psychological, physical and sexual abuse by their captors, who have included journalists and personnel from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; whereas Hamas is an internationally recognised terrorist organisation;

B.whereas, despite aid entering Gaza, the International Committee of the Red Cross has still not been allowed access to the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and neither has any other organisation;

C.whereas aid has entered Gaza, including water, food, medical equipment and fuel; whereas reports published prior to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) assuming responsibility for aid distribution in Gaza noted issues concerning the disbursement of aid, including Hamas taking over aid convoys and redirecting aid to its own fighters in Gaza; whereas since the GHF took over food distribution in Gaza in late May 2025, the GHF has distributed around 152 million meals;

D.whereas data concerning the numbers of dead and wounded Palestinians provided by Hamas and Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health are unreliable and include Hamas combatants;

E.whereas Hamas is still managing to launch rockets at Israel, and the Houthis in Yemen continue to launch missiles and drones at Israel; whereas in recent weeks some missiles launched by the Houthis have included cluster munition warheads, signifying a clear escalation;

F.whereas terrorism, incitement and violence are incompatible with a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;

1.Regrets the loss of innocent lives and the heavy toll on civilians in the ongoing war; deplores the terrorism committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel and against the Israeli and Palestinian people;

2.Calls for all hostages held in Gaza – both living and deceased – to be immediately and unconditionally released and returned to Israel in a dignified manner;

3.Notes the positive efforts undertaken by the GHF in Gaza and supports the continuation of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip; stresses that the aid must reach those civilians in need and not be diverted to terrorist organisations;

4.Underlines that there can be no future role for Hamas or any other terrorist group in Gaza; reiterates that terrorism, incitement and violence are incompatible with the peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;

5.Notes the declarations by some Member States to recognise Palestinian statehood; calls on those Member States that have expressed their intention to recognise Palestinian statehood to make this recognition conditional on the release of all hostages held in Gaza, so as to ensure that they do not legitimise impunity and the ongoing violations of international law by Hamas and the Palestinian Authority; believes that the recognition of Palestinian statehood is inappropriate at the present time and should only take place as part of a meaningful peace process and with the full rejection of terrorism;

6.Encourages continued relations in all areas between the EU, its Member States and Israel, in line with the EU-Israel Association Agreement;

7.Recognises that it is the duty of all parties to the conflict to respect international law governing armed conflicts and the treatment of civilians;

8.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, the Government and Parliament of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.