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

B100385/2025

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

(2025/2852(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Israel, Gaza and the Middle East peace process,

– having regard to the 1979 International Convention against the Taking of Hostages,

– having regard to the decisions of the EU, certain Member States, the United States and other like-minded countries to designate Hamas a terrorist organisation;

– having regard to the report of the UN Secretary-General of 15 July 2025 on conflict-related sexual violence,

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

A. whereas on 7 October 2023, Hamas, an internationally recognised terrorist organisation whose principal stated goal is to annihilate Israel, launched a murderous assault on Israel in which it indiscriminately killed, raped and tortured over 1 200 men, women and children and took at least 240 people to Gaza as hostages, including children; whereas, 700 days on, 49 hostages remain in Gaza in atrocious conditions, of whom fewer than 20 are believed to be alive;

B. whereas the hostage-taking not only served immediate military objectives – such as slowing Israel’s response and extracting political concessions – but also functioned as a powerful instrument of cognitive warfare, aimed at stalling Israeli decision-makers, fracturing Israeli society and reshaping global perceptions;

C. whereas despite calling for a ceasefire, Hamas has consistently rejected proposals to free the remaining hostages; whereas the hostages who have been freed have recounted psychological, physical and sexual abuse by their captors; whereas 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;

D. whereas the UN Secretary-General’s recent report on conflict-related sexual violence corroborates the substantial evidence that Hamas used rape and sexual violence systematically as part of a coordinated attack intended to dehumanise and destroy Israelis, both on 7 October 2023 and thereafter;

E. whereas the humanitarian situation in Gaza is a deeply worrisome consequence of the war that followed the attacks of 7 October 2023, with most of Gaza’s population facing malnutrition, food insecurity and internal displacement; whereas the delivery of humanitarian aid is a complex struggle between Hamas, Israel and the UN; whereas reports have noted issues concerning the distribution of humanitarian aid, including chaotic scenes and Hamas taking over aid convoys and redirecting aid to its own fighters in Gaza;

F. whereas terrorism, incitement to hatred, and violence are incompatible with the peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict; whereas there can be no prospect of peace, security, stability and prosperity for Gaza or of Palestine-Israel reconciliation while Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to play a role in Gaza; whereas Hamas continues to indiscriminately launch rockets at Israel;

1. Regrets the loss of innocent lives and the heavy toll on civilians in the ongoing war; expresses its deepest sorrow and full solidarity with the innocent victims, on both sides, of Hamas’s despicable attack against Israel and of the resulting situation, as well as with their families and loved ones;

2. Expresses concern at the high reported death toll among Palestinians; deplores Hamas’s abuse of Palestinian civilian infrastructure, its combat operations in densely populated civilian areas, its building of tunnels, its intentional use of human shields and its refusal to surrender, which are the main causes of the continued suffering of Gaza’s civilian population and are instrumental in Hamas’s efforts to undermine the legitimacy of Israel and turn global opinion against it;

3. Emphasises that Hamas, which has exercised full control over Gaza for two decades, has chosen a policy of seeking the destruction of Israel rather than building a future for Gaza and ensuring the well-being of its inhabitants; stresses that this course of action led to the attacks of 7 October 2023 and has contributed to the terrible human toll of this conflict;

4. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, both living and deceased; calls for the International Committee of the Red Cross to be given immediate access to all Israeli hostages being held in Gaza so that it can provide them with medical care;

5. Expresses deep concern at the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza; strongly calls for an increase in humanitarian aid entering Gaza and stresses that this aid must reach civilians in need and not be diverted to terrorist organisations; firmly condemns Hamas’s hijacking and looting of aid convoys;

6. Stresses that international law and international humanitarian law must be applied at all times by all sides; reiterates that Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international law, while calling on the Israel Defense Forces to exercise utmost vigilance in military operations against Hamas operatives and structures in order to avoid civilian casualties; strongly rejects any moral equivalence between Hamas or any other Palestinian terrorist organisation and Israel or the Israeli army’s operations;

7. Expresses its solidarity with the Christians in Gaza and the West Bank and underlines that they play an essential humanitarian and social role, despite being a tiny minority;

8. Encourages renewed diplomatic efforts – including by regional and international powers, such as the Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza – towards a lasting peace agreement based on mutual recognition, security guarantees and the cessation of all forms of violence, ultimately leading to a negotiated two-state solution; asserts that Hamas and other terrorist organisations cannot be allowed to retain any political or military control in Gaza;

9. Reaffirms its support for responsible EU engagement in the region, as long as this engagement upholds European values, protects Israel’s security and promotes genuine progress toward peace; warns that imposing sanctions on Israel will not encourage Hamas to take steps toward peace;

10. Recognises the efforts made by Israel and certain Arab states to normalise diplomatic relations under the Abraham Accords; calls on the EU to support initiatives aimed at building broad regional and international backing for a better future in Arab-Israeli relations;

11. Calls on the Commission to ensure that its proposed EUR 1.6 billion comprehensive support programme for the Palestinian Authority and Gaza is fully transparent and is subject to strict oversight and effective conditionality to prevent EU taxpayer money from supporting terrorism or incitement to hatred and violence;

12. Reiterates that no EU funding should go, either directly or indirectly, to terrorist organisations, to persons affiliated with terrorist organisations or to activities that incite hatred and violence; deplores the incitement to violence, eulogising of terrorists, antisemitism and hate speech taught in schools in Gaza; recalls that textbooks paid for with EU funds need to comply with UNESCO standards of peace and tolerance; calls for the EU, in cooperation with the Member States, to develop a comprehensive strategy aimed at halting the radicalisation of young Palestinians, both within Palestinian society and in Palestinian and Arab communities in the Member States;

13. Expresses concern about the global spillover effects of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with an increased number of attacks on Israeli citizens and Jews in some Member States, amid an overall rise in antisemitism among specific groups;

14. Rejects the unfounded allegations that Israel is ‘committing genocide in Gaza’ brought forward by South Africa at the International Court of Justice and voiced by human rights organisations; underlines that international legal forums should not be misused for political instrumentalisation, including lawfare;

15. Takes note of the declarations by some Member States of their intention 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 and the dismantling of Hamas, 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;

16. Encourages continued cooperation between the EU, the Member States and Israel under the EU-Israel Association Agreement; expresses its concern about Ireland’s plans to unilaterally impose trade restrictions on Israel, which, if implemented, would constitute a breach of Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN, the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.