The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday called on the EU to help the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Israel for its war crimes, in a resolution on EU-Palestinian relations.

The resolution – which passed with  41 in favor, 24 opposed and nine abstentions – said that the committee “regret[s] the limited progress on the ICC infestations in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories and commit to help the ICC and its prosecutor move forward with the investigation and the prosecution.”

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The measure was spearheaded by MEP Evin Incir of the Swedish Social Democrats. It is scheduled to go to a plenary vote in July.

The members of the European Parliament also added that the illegal settlements constitute a major obstacle to the viability of the two-state solution, including lasting peace and security. The committee called to “consider targeted EU measures specifically addressing settlement expansion in the West Bank.”

Moreover, the committee expressed concern against Israeli “punitive measures,” such as withholding funds from the Palestinian Authority and limiting construction in Area C, in response to the PA petitioning international legal forums.

(The Palestine Chronicle, Agencies)