Liz Lynne backs European Parliament call for war crime allegations in Gaza to be investigated

4.37.11pm GMT Wed 10th Mar 2010

The European Parliament has backed a call to lift the Gaza blockade and an independent inquiry into war crimes allegations

A resolution calling for alleged war crimes in Gaza to be independently investigated and for an end to the blockade of the territory won support from Euro MPs today, including local LibDem MEP Liz Lynne.

The compromise text voted through by the European Parliament in Strasbourg followed a report by the new EU Foreign Affairs chief Baroness Cathy Ashton, who was urged by many MEPs to be more pro-active in pushing Israel to restart a peace process with the Palestinians.

The resolution called for the EU to take a strong common position on the Fact-Finding Mission led by American judge Richard Goldstone, whose report found extensive evidence of war crimes by the Israeli army during the assault on Gaza in early 2009. The conflict in the territory cost the lives of 1,400 Palestinians including 330 children, and 13 Israelis.

Liz Lynne said: "This was a limited resolution which confined itself to the issue of ending the Gaza blockade by Israel and an independent inquiry into war crimes allegations.

"I supported it as better than nothing, though it is a pity the text did not contain a more far-reaching call for pressure on the Israeli government to restart a meaningful peace process.

"The blockade of Gaza is causing immense and unnecessary suffering to civilians. The Goldstone Report found a lot of evidence of war crimes which needs to be investigated. Israel has admitted that two senior officers have been 'disciplined' for firing phosphorus shells.

"There are also reports of interviews by a top Israeli journalist with officers who apparently admitted that the normal rules of engagement were changed to permit a shoot first and ask questions later policy. We need an independent inquiry, as the UN has demanded."

A long time campaigner on human rights issues, Liz Lynne is a member of the Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council in the European Parliament. She has repeatedly called for an end to the Gaza blockade and disproportionate violence by Israeli troops. She has also condemned the firing of rockets on Israeli civilians from inside Gaza and urged Hamas to renounce violence.

Liz Lynne added: "In my view the EU needs to show that it is prepared to exert the maximum possible pressure on the Israeli government also to stop new settlement activity and start meaningful negotiations.

"America is losing patience with the Netanyahu administration, as we saw today. EU governments and Cathy Ashton should be encouraging Barack Obama to take a strong line."

"The continued injustice in Israel and the plight of the Palestinians is a touchstone issue across the world. It is used by international terrorists as an excuse for their crimes - we need the EU and the Obama administration to step up pressure on Israel to take action and honour their obligations under International Law."

ENDS

Note: In 2008, Liz Lynne MEP co-authored a Written Declaration in the European Parliament on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+WDECL+P6-DCL-2008-0047+0+DOC+WORD+V0//EN&language=EN