Gaza ceasefire must end Israel's ‘brutal occupation’, Agius Saliba says
Alex Agius Saliba said that the ceasefire should be the beginning of a two-state solution
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas should not be “empty words” but the end of Israel’s “brutal occupation,” Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba said in the European Parliament on Tuesday.
Agius Saliba, who forms part of the Socialists and Democrats, was speaking during a plenary debate on the recent peace agreement in the Middle East and the role of the EU.
“The ceasefire deal should not simply be empty words, but it must bring an end to this brutal occupation and also the beginning of the implementation of the two-state solution,” he said.
The MEP further called on the European Union to ensure that Palestine is not turned into a “colonial protectorate”, but that it is given the power to govern itself. This will only work if the Palestinian Authority is allowed to govern.
“The so-called Trump agreement must also be framed within the vision of the two-state solution and implemented in accordance with the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” he said.
Agius Saliba called on other member states to recognise Palestinian statehood, as it is the only way to achieve the two-state solution.
Malta joined other countries formally recognising Palestine last month during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Later on Tuesday the European parliament is due to hold another debate titled Delayed justice and rule of law backsliding in Malta, eight years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.
The debate was backed by the Nationalist party but criticised by the government as being an "attack on Malta’s reputation".