European Parliament President Roberta Metsola confirmed
lawmakers are debating a resolution that could label Israel’s Gaza actions as
“genocide.”
A resolution calling for EU intervention to address famine in Gaza, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and progress toward a two-state solution will be put to a vote by the parliament on Thursday.
“This is something that is being negotiated in the resolution right now,”
she told the European Newsroom (enr) in an interview in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Genocide is defined as the intentional targeting of population groups that are different from others in language, religion, or tradition with the goal of eradicating them whole or in part, according to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“There are some colleagues, and this is a reflection also of the member states, who say that this is a legal word that is used, and others who say the opposite,”
Metsola said.
“We will see what is the outcome of the negotiation on the resolution and the vote on Thursday,” she added.
This includes homicides as well as actions that result in severe physical or psychological injury and the imposition of living circumstances that may cause the group to physically disintegrate.
Deliberately preventing births or kidnapping children are also considered acts of genocide under the agreement.
The terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left almost 1,200 people dead and more than 250 hostages taken, set off Israel's war operation in Gaza, which it claims is intended to eliminate the Islamist organization Hamas.
Since then, the majority of the buildings in the heavily populated coastal area have been destroyed, and over 64,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Strip's Hamas-controlled health authority.
Israel is contesting a complaint filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice, and it has vehemently denied claims that its campaign amounts to genocide.
However, this is precisely what European Commissioner Teresa Ribera said about Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip last week.
At a speech at prestigious French university Sciences Po, she said:
“The genocide in Gaza exposes Europe’s failure to act and speak with one voice even as protest spread across European cities and 14 United Nations Security Council members called for an immediate ceasefire."
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, swiftly disassociated herself from Ribera's use of the term, stating that she was not referring to the EU's executive branch.
According to a spokesman, the commission had no stance on the issue of genocide because the courts should make that determination.
For her part, Metsola underlined that both our citizens and the European Parliament members who represent them have "a dominant concern" about the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
“And they want answers”
from the commission as well as from member state governments, she said.
She did concede, however, that the European Parliament's authority to take action on foreign policy matters was constrained. The EU member states decide which nations are subject to sanctions. The parliament's resolutions are not enforceable by law.
But
"the situation cannot go on, it cannot,"
Metsola emphasized.
After von der Leyen's speech to the parliament, Metsola anticipates that the State of the Union debate on Wednesday will be heavily influenced by the Gaza situation.
“There is huge expectation on what will be said,” Metsola said.
What are the main arguments for and against labeling Gaza's situation as genocide?
Experts and reports, including from the International
Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and Amnesty International, argue
Israel’s actions meet the United Nations Genocide Convention definition, which
includes intent to destroy a group in whole or in part through killings,
causing serious harm, or imposing conditions intended to bring about physical
destruction.
Supporters cite statements by Israeli officials advocating for the forced removal and destruction of Gaza’s population, dehumanizing language characterizing Palestinians as enemies, and policies aimed at destroying essential infrastructure (healthcare, water, food supplies) that threaten survival.
Over 50,000 deaths including many children, wide-scale destruction of homes and public services, and blockade conditions leading to starvation and inability to rebuild are seen as indicative of genocidal acts.