Communiqué from the UAB Governing Team on the situation in Gaza

We join the international demands for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to stop the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip and express our support to the United Nations, which has insistently advocated compliance with international law by all actors in the conflict, its peaceful resolution and the promotion of peace agreements.

Decades of occupation of the Palestinian territories, thousands of civilians killed and many more wounded, and a terrible blockade on the Gaza Strip have brought Palestine and its population to an untenable and desperate situation. In recent weeks, attacks against Palestinians have hit civilian targets such as hospitals and schools, and Gaza's only university has been destroyed.

The attacks committed by the Hamas organization on 7 October against Israeli civilians, including killing, maiming and hostage-taking, constitute grave violations that could be qualified as war crimes. The UAB calls for the immediate release of the hostages and believes that the perpetrators of these attacks should be prosecuted and tried by a competent court.

However, the terrorist acts of Hamas do not justify the subsequent crimes of the State of Israel. Israel must immediately cease retaliatory actions against the Palestinian civilian population. The Israeli authorities are in very serious and conscious breach of the basic rules and principles of international humanitarian law, and particuilarly in a densely populated area under a tight blockade. UN Special Rapporteurs warn that the complete siege of Gaza, together with unfeasible evacuation orders, or the deliberate and systematic destruction of civilian homes and infrastructures by Israel constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

All other states, especially those that are part of the European Union, should use their influence to stop violations of international humanitarian law by the parties involved in the conflict.