On Friday, China and Russia vetoed a U.S. resolution at the UN Security Council which did not call for a ceasefire, contrary to reports in major media. See IPA news release: “Beyond U.S. Isolation at UN: What’s Not Being Done.”

[Oxfam recently released a statement: “Israel Government Continues to Block Aid Response Despite ICJ Genocide Court Ruling.” The International Court of Justice has scheduled a hearing for April 8 and 9 on the case of Nicaragua against Germany regarding its “participation in the ongoing plausible genocide and serious breaches of international humanitarian law and other peremptory norms of general international law occurring in the Gaza Strip.” See latest in reporting regarding South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. The Electronic Intifada reports: “British Lawyer Heading ICC’s Palestine Probe Can’t Be Seen as Neutral.” See from Al Jazeera via Euro-Med Monitor: “An Israeli army drone pursued four civilian youths who attempted to reach their destroyed homes and killed them with missiles.”]

The group Geneva International Peace Research Institute recently released an “Open letter to the EU Leadership Demanding an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza,” which states: “By opening a maritime corridor via Cyprus, the EU is effectively surrendering any remaining moral authority it may have had to the Israelis, by presenting the scenario as though no other possible alternative exists, when in fact many alternatives do exist.

“Through adopting this approach, the EU continues to support the Israeli blockade by steadfastly refusing to call for a ceasefire, and by not calling for Israel to open the land borders to allow the hundreds of aid trucks already positioned to enter Gaza. This is the only effective means through which aid can be distributed to the population by the United Nations agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other international partners and organizations. These agencies have been calling for months for rapid and unhindered access to deliver aid, calls that continue to fall on deaf ears. …

“We demand that the EU calls for an immediate and unconditional end to the Israeli bombing of Gaza right now, and we demand that the EU also calls for an opening of the borders, allowing rapid and unhindered delivery of food, shelter and medical supplies to the population.

“Anything less than this is unacceptable and in breach of international law, which you all claim to uphold, but which it is evident that you are in breach of.

“Short of this, we will be amplifying calls at the public level for your immediate resignations, as you no longer represent the population of the EU, with your continued support for a racist, murderous, apartheid regime.”

Contact for interviews from the Geneva International Peace Research Institute:
Prof. Gilles-Emmanuel Jacquet, ge.jacquet@gipri.ch