Agius Saliba urges Metsola to respond strongly to Israel's 'war crimes'

Labour deputy leader and MEP Alex Agius Saliba has urged European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, to take decisive action in response to the resurgence of violence in Palestine. 

On Tuesday, more than 300 people were killed in an Israeli forces attack across the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday. The attack is the first major strike on the territory since Israel’s cease-fire with Hamas began roughly two months ago.

The two high-profile politicians have long been at each other's throats over various issues. The most recent case goes back to January when the two got into a spat over ġbejniet.

Agius Saliba has called on Metsola to push the EU and its member states to impose punitive measures that would curb Israel’s ability to continue committing what he described as war crimes.

In his letter, Agius Saliba insisted that the EU must uphold its international obligations and respect the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by actively working to prevent genocide and holding those responsible for war crimes accountable. 

He called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement due to clear and repeated human rights violations, as well as the imposition of targeted sanctions aimed at restricting Israel’s military, industrial, and infrastructural capabilities.

Agius Saliba stressed that such measures are necessary to ensure that the EU does not become complicit in facilitating war crimes. 

He further urged Metsola to push the EU to support the Arab League’s reconstruction plan for Gaza, which includes political reforms to guarantee Palestinian self-governance.

“... the Palestinian people have endured decades of displacement, occupation, and violence. It is now the time to act to put an end to these acts of systematic oppression.”