Issue - meetings

The Council considered a motion from the Green Group calling for peace in Gaza.

On a motion from Councillor Joanna Wright, seconded by Councillor Sam Ross, it was unanimously

RESOLVED that

Council expresses horror at the conflict in Palestine and Israel and sympathy to all in the Bath and North East Somerset area who have been affected.

Council Notes that:

1. East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Gaza are internationally recognised as being under illegal occupation by Israel. Amnesty International states that Gaza has been subject to 16 years of blockade and multiple NGOs recognise a system of apartheid within this region.

2. On the 7^th October 2023, Hamas, launched an assault on Israel – the European Parliament has described this as the deadliest attack on a Jewish community since the end of the Holocaust.

3. The UN states that all nations have a right to self-determination and self-defence, but these rights must be defended within the purview of international law. Nevertheless, a devastating and violent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has ensued since 7^th October 2023:
   1. Tens of thousands of civilians have lost their lives in this conflict, including Israeli and British citizen, but fatalities are predominantly Palestinian women and children.
   2. Approximately 75 percent of Gaza's total population, equating to two million people, have been displaced. The displacement exacerbates challenges in the international asylum system, forcing individuals to seek refuge as asylum seekers and refugees.
   3. The conflict has left Palestine without critical infrastructure, food, water, and resources: multiple hospitals have been targeted in IDF operations, contravening the Geneva Convention; UN officials have deemed the supplies sent to Gaza via trucks as "grossly inadequate", many of which have been blocked by the IDF; the lack of access to clean water has led to the spread of disease due to inadequate sanitation facilities; Palestinians suffer daily from malnutrition, famine, and starvation.
   4. Both Hamas and Israel are alleged to have committed grave breaches of the Geneva Convention which are defined as War Crimes by Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

4. Israel's ongoing targeting of Gaza, most recently in Rafah - where many refugees have sought shelter, poses a grave threat to regional and international stability. Deliberate attacks on non-combatant civilians or civilian infrastructure are deemed as war crimes under the Rome Statute. Amnesty International has warned that Israel's recurrent assaults on Rafah violate these international laws;

5. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the United Nations, has heard a case of alleged genocide by Israel. The ICJ issued an interim ruling instructing Israel to prevent genocidal acts and enable humanitarian assistance, despite which civilian casualties in Gaza have increased.

6. The profound and traumatising impact the conflict has had on local residents in Bath and North East Somerset, particularly those with close ties to family, friends or loved ones in Palestine and Israel, and expresses thanks to all residents who shared their experiences and heartfelt feelings at recent full Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22