Civil Organizations: The European Petition to Suspend Agreements with the Occupying State is a Victory for Human Justice Awaiting Implementation Steps

SadaNews - The Palestinian Network of Civil Organizations has called for concrete measures to punish the occupying state and impose a comprehensive boycott on it for the severe violations of international law it commits daily in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially the crimes of genocide in the Gaza Strip and ethnic cleansing policies as part of the annexation scheme in the West Bank. This situation necessitates specific steps to compel the occupying power to stop these actions immediately and to work on clear punitive measures against it.

This demand comes in response to the significant success achieved by the popular campaign in Europe, which gathered signatures in several European countries aimed at suspending the partnership agreement with the occupying state. In a few weeks, it has collected nearly two million signatures, thus meeting the legal conditions for its adoption, allowing the European Commission to be called upon to suspend agreements and partnership relations with the occupying state based on the significant violations of international law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice, which continue the relationship with it is deemed complicity that contradicts European values, according to the petition launched by leftist parties in the European Parliament in Brussels.

The network reiterated its welcome to this "important step on the path to acknowledging the humanitarian tragedy that has befallen Gaza due to genocide crimes, at the same time renewing its demand for the official announcement to halt partnership agreements and economic, trade, and political relations, as well as to announce the expulsion of the membership of the occupying 'Knesset' following the enactment of the execution law for prisoners, in accordance with the principles of international law and international humanitarian treaties. It also calls for the petition to be presented before the European Commission to take the necessary steps to stop the practices of the occupation against the Palestinian people, whether it is genocide, starvation, or using food as a 'weapon' against Palestinian civilians, or the practices of settlers and colonial policies in the occupied territories, as well as towards female and male prisoners in the occupation's jails. Furthermore, it calls to halt all forms of violations of international law and significant assaults on human values and international norms. In this context, the network demands working to provide international protection for the Palestinian people and activate accountability mechanisms to criminalize and punish the occupation, urging the continuation of extensive international efforts to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and protect their legitimate national rights to independence, return, and self-determination.