PL MEPs Alex Agius Saliba and Daniel Attard are among 21 MEPs calling on the European Commission to align the EU's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the findings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

This, they believe, would bring about the end of Israel's "unlawful occupation" and "enable the two-state solution to the conflict".

An ICJ ruling last week was critical of Israel and its "illegal annexation" of large parts of the Palestinian territory. It said states were under an obligation not to recognise, aid or assist the "illegal" situation arising from the "Israeli occupation".

In line with this, a group of MEPs proposed an EU ban on trade with Israeli settlements, a review of Israel's compliance with the so-called Association Agreement as requested by Ireland and Spain and the conduct of a wider thorough assessment of the implications of the Advisory Opinion for EU and member states policies and external action.  

MEPs want this report to be made public and presented to the "relevant bodies in the European Parliament".

Two Maltese MEPs - Agius Saliba and Attard - are among the signatories, together with MEPs from the Group of the Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, and Greens/EFA.  

No MEPs from the European People's Party, the Left, Patriots for Europe, and Europe of Sovereign Nations have signed the letter addressed to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The MEPs are insisting that the ICJ's "historic opinion" must be regarded as "a pivotal moment for the EU to recalibrate its policy towards Israel so as to bring about the end of its unlawful occupation, enable the two-state solution to the conflict ensuring freedom and safety for both peoples, and resolutely defend the international legal order."

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