The Diplomat
The governments of Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK issued a joint communiqué yesterday expressing their “grave concern at the continuing and escalating violence in the occupied Palestinian territories” and calling for a de-escalation of tension in the region.
In the communiqué, the six countries call on Palestinians and Israelis to encourage the “spark of hope” achieved at last weekend’s meeting in Aqaba, Jordan, where both sides pledged not to take unilateral steps that could contribute to further clashes.
The six governments directly address this week’s incidents in the West Bank town of Huwara, which began last Sunday with the deaths of two Israelis at the hands of a Palestinian attacker, responded by a settler attack on the town, resulting in the death of one Palestinian and the burning of several homes.
The signatories strongly condemn both the “terrorist attacks that killed Israeli citizens” carried out by Palestinians and “indiscriminate violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, including the destruction of homes and property”.
“We are saddened by any loss of life. These acts can lead nowhere except to more violence,” say the signatory governments, which also call for “those responsible to face full accountability and legal prosecution.
On the Aqaba security summit, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK recall that the outcome of the meeting, at which Israelis and Palestinians affirmed reciprocal commitments, including efforts to de-escalate and work towards a just and lasting peace, “is the first” of this calibre “in many years” and urge “all parties to refrain from derailing this fragile process”.
“We call on them to honour the commitments they made at the meeting, to reduce tension, both in actions and words,” and to restore calm “so that these efforts can flourish” ahead of the next episode of the summit, which will take place in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, the communiqué said.
Finally, the six countries address Israel to express their “firm opposition” to the expansion of settlements “that are illegal under international law”, citing as an example the recent decision of the Israeli government to “move forward with the construction of more than 7,000 settlement units in the occupied West Bank and legalise settlement outposts”, an initiative that they believe the Israeli government must “reverse”.
