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A. Draft resolution
(open)
Report | Doc. 16210 | 24 June 2025
Global peace under threat: halting the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and addressing the wider conflict in the Middle East
Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy
A. Draft resolution 
(open)1. The Parliamentary Assembly
expresses deep concern about the escalation of the war in the Middle
East, where multiple fronts of fighting have been active since the
appalling terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel in October 2023,
which the Assembly has unequivocally condemned. This unfolding multifaceted
war involves Israeli forces, as well as terrorist and proxy groups
such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and has caused immense
suffering to the civilian population, particularly in Gaza. The
eruption of open military hostilities between Israel and Iran in
June 2025 and the direct military intervention of the United States
in this conflict targeting nuclear facilities, represent a further
alarming development, which could lead to an even wider conflagration
with devastating consequences for human suffering and the maintenance
of international peace and security, at a time when power politics
seem to have overridden the system of global governance based on
international law.
2. The Assembly reaffirms, in line with the values of the Council
of Europe as a defender of human rights, democracy and the rule
of law, its longstanding commitment to peace and regional stability
in the Middle East and calls on all the parties to this broader
war to de-escalate. The Assembly also reiterates the urgent need
to uphold international law, respect human dignity, protect civilians,
and reinvigorate multilateral diplomacy to avert further suffering,
violence, destabilisation and radicalisation. The solution to the
multiple, deep-seated, long-standing conflicts and challenges affecting
the Middle East cannot be achieved through military confrontation
but through diplomacy and an inclusive political process aimed at
laying the foundations for durable peace, stability, respect and
reconciliation between peoples.
3. In this context, the Assembly acknowledges the announcement
of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, and urges all parties to
refrain from any actions that could jeopardise this fragile progress.
4. The Assembly remains gravely concerned by the destabilising
activities of the Iranian regime which, in addition to systematically
denying basic human rights to its population, plays a central role
in fuelling regional and global violence and instability. Through
its sustained support for armed proxy groups across the Middle East,
including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, armed factions in
Syria and Iraq, and the Houthi movement in Yemen, Iran has aimed
to undermine regional security and has contributed to the prolongation and
intensification of multiple armed conflicts.
5. In addition, Iran's acceleration of its uranium enrichment
programme in defiance of international commitments and its growing
co-operation with the Russian Federation in this domain raise serious
concerns about its capacity to develop nuclear weapons. By supplying
military equipment to the Russian Federation for use in its war
of aggression against Ukraine, and by deepening its political and
strategic alignment with Moscow at both bilateral and multilateral
levels, Iran has also emerged as a direct threat to European security.
6. In the face of the unprecedented escalation in Iran centred
on the unacceptable nuclear threat that it poses, and the increased
threat to global security, the international community must not
lose sight of the dramatic fate of ordinary people in Gaza, and
that of the hostages held captive by Hamas and other terrorist militia
groups. The Assembly is convinced that the widening scope of hostilities
in the region should not divert attention from the urgent need to
halt the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, nor from the deteriorating
situation in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the
urgent need to uphold international law and ensure accountability.
7. The Assembly recalls its resolutions that have sought a permanent
and unconditional ceasefire and a renewed effort to achieve a political
solution in Gaza. While welcoming the mediation that led to a temporary ceasefire
on 19 January 2025, the Assembly deplores the fact that, despite
these efforts and other expressions of the will of the international
community, Israeli forces continue their disproportionate attacks
on Gaza, with appalling consequences for the civilian population.
The Assembly abhors and condemns in the strongest terms the devastating
toll inflicted – with over 55 000 deaths according to figures reported
to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs. It equally abhors and condemns reported Israeli attacks
on civilians seeking aid, the obstruction of humanitarian aid, the
mass displacement of communities and the widespread destruction
of civilian infrastructure, including housing, hospitals, schools
and religious and cultural sites.
8. Aid delivery models approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet,
purportedly designed to bypass Hamas-controlled channels, have risked
violating core humanitarian principles and have exposed civilians
and aid workers to significant harm. Humanitarian access remains
grossly insufficient amid ongoing hostilities and operational restrictions.
Strikes on distribution sites and the absence of adequate protective
measures have led to mass casualties and the deaths of over 460
aid workers since October 2023.
9. The expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza in May
2025 was met with opposition from large parts of the international
community, and the Israeli Government has been repeatedly called
upon to meet its obligations under international law, including
international humanitarian law. In this context, the Assembly further
recalls the provisional measures indicated by the International
Court of Justice, and the issuance of arrest warrants by the International
Criminal Court against senior Israeli officials, as well as against
a Hamas senior leader. Systemic breaches of fundamental obligations
require accountability.
10. In deploring the catastrophic situation in Gaza, the Assembly
recalls the grave responsibility of Hamas for the war, its rejection
of numerous ceasefire mediation efforts that would provide a pathway
for ending the conflict, and its refusal to release the remaining
hostages. In sustaining the conflict, Hamas not only threatens Israel’s
security, but prolongs the appalling suffering and ordeal of the
Palestinian people and undermines the Palestinian project for peace
and statehood.
11. The Assembly emphasises that the prolongation of hostilities,
the intensification of violations of international humanitarian
law, the obstruction of ceasefire negotiations and the continued
captivity of hostages are inflicting intolerable suffering on civilians
and endangering any realistic prospect of restoring stability and securing
a viable political settlement. The protracted nature of the conflict,
combined with disregard for established legal and humanitarian norms
undermines the effectiveness of the international rules-based order and
represents a threat to global peace and security.
12. The Assembly expresses particular alarm at statements by senior
Israeli officials advocating, or openly contemplating, the permanent
displacement of Gaza’s civilian population. It stresses that any
such acts would constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian
and human rights law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and
would amount to a crime under international law. The Assembly underscores
that the protection of civilian populations must remain a paramount
concern and that any policies aimed at demographic engineering or
forcible population transfer are wholly unacceptable.
13. Furthermore, the Assembly remains deeply concerned about the
situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem where settler violence,
the closure of all checkpoints and mass arrests and detentions have accelerated
since direct hostilities between Israel and Iran began on 13 June
2025. The Assembly reaffirms its unwavering support for a negotiated
two-State solution as the only viable path to lasting peace and
security. It further stresses that the continued expansion of Israeli
settlements in the occupied West Bank, which remain illegal under
international law, systematically undermines this goal, inflames
tensions and contributes to the broader destabilisation of the region.
14. In light of the escalation of war in the Middle East, the
Assembly:
14.1. expresses its deep
concern about the direct hostilities between Israel and Iran and
about the involvement of the United States, and calls for immediate
de-escalation and restraint by all parties;
14.2. acknowledges the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel
and Iran, and urges parties to take steps to ensure its implementation;
14.3. urges all States to refrain from actions that risk regional
conflagration and to pursue diplomatic channels to establish regional
stability;
14.4. stresses that under international humanitarian law, all
parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and
minimise their suffering and casualties;
14.5. expresses serious concern about the continued Israeli
military operations in Syria that risk further destabilising a fragile
political transition, and calls on all parties to respect the territorial
integrity of Syria and refrain from actions that may escalate regional
tensions;
14.6. calls for a return to multilateral engagement, particularly
through the United Nations and relevant regional actors, to address
the interconnected crises across the Middle East.
14.7. calls on its member States to send a stronger message
of political support to and solidarity with Iranians standing up
for democracy and human rights, by, among other things, listing
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
15. As concerns efforts to reach a political solution in Gaza,
the Assembly:
15.1. repeats its urgent
appeal for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages
still held in Gaza;
15.2. calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza
to stop the relentless loss of civilian life, end the widespread
destruction of homes and infrastructure and enable urgent humanitarian
relief to reach all those in need without delay or obstruction;
15.3. urges all parties to engage constructively with mediation
efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive ceasefire and the release
of all hostages;
15.4. affirms that sustainable peace and stability in Gaza cannot
be achieved while Hamas and other groups designated as terrorist
organisations maintain any governing or operational role.
16. As regards the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza,
the Assembly
16.1. recalls that international
humanitarian law comprises a set of universal and binding rules
to protect persons and civilian objects, and restricts the permissible
means and methods of warfare;
16.2. calls for Israel’s strict compliance with its obligations
under international humanitarian law and human rights law and underscores
the importance of holding accountable all those responsible for violations;
16.3. strongly condemns any use of starvation of a civilian
population as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian
access, which constitute crimes under international law;
16.4. resolutely affirms that there must be no unlawful transfer
or forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, nor any attempt
to alter the territory of the Gaza Strip, including through reduction
or annexation;
16.5. stresses the obligation not to deprive civilians in Gaza
of goods indispensable to their survival, including by wilfully
impeding relief supplies and humanitarian access;
16.6. calls on Israel to take all necessary and effective measures
to ensure, without delay, in full co-operation with the United Nations,
the unhindered and widespread provision by all stakeholders concerned
of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance, including
food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing and hygiene and
sanitation requirements, as well as medical supplies and medical
care, to Palestinians throughout Gaza, including by increasing the
capacity and number of land crossing points and keeping them open
for as long as necessary;
16.7. calls for a full, independent and transparent investigation
into fatal attacks near food distribution sites.
17. As regards the role of Council of Europe member and observer
States, the Assembly calls on them to:
17.1. respect and uphold their obligations under international
law, including by supporting the work of United Nations organs and
agencies and the work of the International Court of Justice, and
by ensuring respect for the rules laid down in the Geneva Conventions
in all circumstances;
17.2. refrain from obstructing the work of the International
Criminal Court, and for those States Parties to the Rome Statute
of the International Criminal Court, co-operate fully with it;
17.3. continue to support humanitarian funding and the provision
of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza;
17.4. facilitate medical evacuations, including the provision
of treatment and transportation, with particular attention to children
and their families, as well as to pregnant women and their families;
17.5. lend their full diplomatic support for a two-State solution
and for creating the preconditions for a durable and sustainable
peace in the Middle East built on trust, justice and reconciliation.
18. In reaffirming its commitment to a just and comprehensive
peace based on the two-State solution, the Assembly:
18.1. renews with urgency its call
to parties to refrain from any unilateral measures that undermine
the prospects for the peace process;
18.2. calls for the urgent and resolute engagement of the Israeli
authorities to prevent settler violence and refrain from the building
of new settlements and the expansion of old ones, home demolitions,
forced evictions and confiscation of land in the occupied territories;
18.3. underlines that the Palestinian Authority is an essential
interlocutor in peace negotiations;
18.4. supports international efforts to prepare the political
horizon for a two-State solution, including the Global Alliance
for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution established by
Norway, the European Union and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations
General Assembly in 2024.