On February 16, 2022, before the same Senate committee, Hala Abou Hassira had already warned about the Israeli military occupation, colonization, and the blockade in Gaza that were annihilating any political prospect for resolving the conflict. Three years later, the ambassador stated that the situation has now "gone beyond the stage of warning" and emphasized "the imperative to act" in the face of "Israel's war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank."
Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, the Gaza Strip has been under Israeli bombardment. In total, over 55,000 deaths have been recorded in the enclave, along with 120,000 injured. For LR Senator and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Cédric Perrin, it is a "war that seems to have no end."
"Death Trap"
While daily strikes continue in Gaza, the population must also endure famine. For the past month, Israel and the United States have regained control over food aid distribution. Now, only four sites allow for food aid distribution, compared to over 400 when the United Nations provided this service. Moreover, several observers claim that the Israeli army fires on crowds during aid distributions, including the newspaper Le Monde, which revealed in a video investigation that a crowd of Palestinian civilians was targeted by gunfire from Israeli military positions. During these distributions, nearly 500 people were reportedly killed.
"Famine is being used as a weapon of war, which is therefore a war crime," warned the ambassador. "The distribution of food aid is being used as a real death trap." Faced with this situation, which she described as "apocalyptic," with a population "condemned to a slow and imminent death," she called on states and international organizations to take their responsibilities.
"The prerequisite for security in the region is justice"
The recent re-opening of the conflict between Iran and Israel, paused by a fragile ceasefire, raises fears of a regional conflagration, limiting the prospects for resolution between the Hebrew state and Palestine. "We hope that the European Union will use all its weight to reach a peace agreement," stated the representative. According to her, an agreement is possible only if Israel "renounces colonization" in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and accepts the UN resolution for a two-state solution. "The prerequisite for security in the region is justice," she affirmed. "We have been able to observe the centrality of the Palestinian question in the world because it is an example of a historical injustice that has lasted for 77 years."
"We are counting heavily on this conference"
To exert influence in the negotiations, the ambassador is banking on the termination of the European Union's trade agreements with Israel and calls for a boycott of products from Israeli settlements. Despite everything, hope persists: the upcoming UN conference on the Palestinian state. Initially scheduled for last June, the conference was postponed "for logistical and security reasons" following the Israeli attack in Iran.
On this occasion, Emmanuel Macron evoked the possibility of recognizing the Palestinian state on the condition that Saudi Arabia, for its part, recognizes the Hebrew state. "We are counting heavily on this conference; peace must absolutely be imposed," concluded the ambassador.
Source: Public Sénat, 07/02/25