The OSCE PA President also reiterates the call in a resolution adopted in Porto last week for all OSCE participating States to consider recognizing the State of Palestine as a contribution to a lasting peace.
President Pere Joan Pons addresses the Assembly following his election in Porto on 3 July 2025.COPENHAGEN, 8 July 2025 – Following reports of further civilian casualties in recent days from the Israeli military operation in Gaza, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons (Spain) stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire and facilitation of humanitarian aid in the region.
“With casualties already numbering some 55,000, every day seems to bring new reports of suffering among innocent civilians in Gaza. Children and vulnerable people are paying a particularly heavy toll. I call for an urgent redoubling of efforts to reach agreement on a ceasefire that can bring an end to the pain and start to rebuild security for the broader region,” said President Pons.
The President visited Israel and the occupied West Bank earlier this year together with a high-level delegation of parliamentarians for meetings in which securing a safe and stable life for people living in the region was in focus.
The President welcomed reports over the weekend that the Israeli Government voted to expand the distribution of humanitarian aid in northern Gaza.
“Humanitarian agencies are reporting a massive need for aid, but are far too often restricted in their access. Aid must be allowed to flow into Gaza immediately,” he said. “It is vital that humanitarian assistance is guaranteed and that all parties respect the 1949 Geneva Conventions.”
President Pons also reiterated the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s unanimous appeal in its recent Porto Declaration for an immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages by Hamas, condemning the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks.
The President also reiterated the resolution adopted in Porto, principally sponsored by Anna Bilotti (Italy), which “call[ed] on all OSCE participating States that have not yet done so to consider formally recognizing the State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its shared capital, as a substantive contribution to achieving a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.”
“Both Israelis and Palestinians must increase long-term efforts aimed at coexistence. There is a yearning for peace, and regular life among people in the region, and I call upon leaders to do all they can to stop the cycle of violence,” said Pons.
