04 March 2008 - Dr Caroline Lucas MEP has condemned that latest bout of fighting in the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to halt its ‘unacceptable collective punishment’ of Palestinians.

She said:  "The recent Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip is an unacceptable act of collective punishment of the people of Gaza.  It is a clear breach of international humanitarian law, for which Israel must be held to account.  The international community must take immediate action to stop this catastrophe.  The time for expressions of concern is over - we need urgent action now to halt Israeli aggression.  As a first step, the EU should suspend its association agreement with Israel.

"Both sides in the Israel-Palestine struggle must seek to uphold human rights and international law.  Through the suspension of its trading relations with Israel, the EU must send out a clear signal that the violence and destruction, as well as the  blockade of goods and services, being inflicted on the people of Palestine by the Israeli forces is simply unacceptable. Only then can both sides start to draw back from the fighting and establish any semblance of a lasting peace.

"The US must also stop playing politics in the area, and put real pressure on Israel. Sadly, it comes as no surprise today to find that leaked reports have exposed a US strategy to overthrow the Hamas government following its election victory in 2006. The Bush administration has shown complete contempt for democratic processes when its own interests have not been served, seeking to undermine the authority of the Palestinian leadership and exacerbating violence in the war-torn region."

ENDS