In unusual move, European Parliament condemns Hamas, says it must be 'eliminated'

The European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution on Thursday calling for the Iran-backed Hamas terror organization to be “eliminated” following the gruesome Hamas massacre on Oct. 7. The resolution was passed by an overwhelming majority (500:21) of the parliamentarians in favor.

In its resolution, the European Parliament condemned “in the strongest possible terms, the despicable terrorist attacks committed by the terrorist group Hamas against Israel and expresses its support for the State of Israel and its people; reiterates that the terrorist organisation Hamas needs to be eliminated.”

Furthermore, the parliamentarians ask for the “unconditional release” of the more than 200 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including babies and elderly people, noting that their abductions constitute a war crime.

“[European Parliament] calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages who have been taken by the terrorist group Hamas and for the bodies of deceased hostages to be returned; recalls that the taking of hostages is a violation of international law and constitutes a war crime,” the resolution stated.

The European Parliament noted that the EU Commission, the unelected executive body of the European Union, had been sending mixed signals as one commissioner first decided the EU would cease to provide Gaza with aid, only for that decision to be immediately reversed. Not only that, but the EU Commission then decided to triple its aid to Gaza.

“The Commission will immediately increase the current humanitarian aid envelope foreseen for Gaza by 50 million euros,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the time.

“This will bring the total to over 75 million euros. We will continue our close cooperation with the UN and its agencies to ensure that this aid reaches those in need in the Gaza strip.”

The EU includes Hamas on its list of terrorist organizations.

The European Parliament tempered its support for Israel by calling for a “humanitarian pause” in Gaza to allow for aid to enter the country, telling Israel that its right to defend itself was, nonetheless, subject to limits of international law.

“[The European Parliament] is very concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where approximately half of the population are children; calls for opening channels for providing humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip and for these to be kept permanently open; urges the international community to continue and increase its humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the area; reiterates that the EU must continue delivering humanitarian aid to them; urges Egypt and Israel to cooperate with the international community to establish humanitarian corridors to the Gaza Strip.”

The resolution also referred to the already debunked lie of an Israeli airstrike of the Al-Ma’amadani Hospital in Gaza, pending “an independent investigation.”

“[The European Parliament] deeply regrets and mourns the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and those injured at the Al-Ahli hospital blast; calls for an independent investigation under international law to establish whether this was a deliberate attack, and thus a war crime; calls for the perpetrators to be held accountable,” the resolution stated.