Roberta METSOLA, EP President, opens the Plenary session in Strasbourg. The President gives her introductory remark on the dire situation in Israel and in Gaza. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

president's agenda

Introductory remark by Roberta METSOLA, EP President on the situation in Israel and in Gaza

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, So, colleagues, dear the situation in Israel, in Gaza and the wider Middle East is at the top of all our concerns. The reality on the ground is horrific. It is tragic and desperate and the innocent lives are at stake.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, On October 7th, the world awoke to the worst terrorist attack on families in Israel in generations. Hamas committed mass murder, kidnappings, rapes, torture, mutilations and desecrated the dead.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, There are no excuses for that, and I am proud that this Parliament brought everyone together on our Esplanade to show solidarity with the victims and to underline that Hamas is a terrorist group that does not represent the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. It hinders them and it must be stopped. That is a distinction that we have always made and we must keep underlining.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Last Friday, after speaking to all the political groups as president of the Parliament, I travelled to Israel on the invitation of the Knesset to express our solidarity, to reiterate our rejection of terrorism, to visit the site of the atrocities, to urge for the release of nearly 200 hostages, to meet survivors and underline that how Israel responds to the attack matters to all of us.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, To emphasise that, we must keep looking for solutions for the humanitarian consequences in Gaza, in line with our obligations and international law. It was a message that I made and will keep making, and I am proud that this Parliament has been a leading voice on this issue and I know that we will keep doing what we can to alleviate the suffering of the innocent. The visit was tough, was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do as President, but it was important.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Even if the horror that I witnessed in the kibbutz at Kfar Aza and Re'im Music Festival will stay forever with me and with anyone who saw the incomprehensible and inexcusable depths to which man has sunk.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Even in the darkest of times, our Parliament has always and will always push for a fair two state solution that is equitable and just. We will always push for a sustainable and lasting peace. I said this in the Knesset and in Ramallah when I visited President Abbas last year, and it bears repeating now.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, 'Sadly, the vile actions of Hamas terrorists have pushed this prospect further away. Today, the situation in Gaza remains impossible for so many. Our focus must remain on ensuring that the hostages kidnapped are released unconditionally, that humanitarian aid reaches those in need. The civilians are not targeted, that safe corridors are maintained, and that we keep engaging with the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people and regional actors to de-escalate tensions in the region and neighbouring areas.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Tomorrow, there will be an extraordinary European Council and this House debates the issue on Wednesday and I know that this Parliament and all of you will keep doing everything we can. Thank you.