The Party of the European Left (EL) categorically condemns the murder of three young Israeli students found lifeless on Monday, June 30. The light must be shed on this crime. The EL calls upon the Israeli government to not untie a bloody vengeance against the defenceless Palestinian population of Gaza and the West Bank. We are also deeply concerned about the death of a young Palestinian who has been found dead in a forest close to East-Jerusalem.

Israel must put forward all legal means to investigate and clarify the murders and detain the killers, instead of attacking the Palestinians population as the Israeli army has been doing with great intensity over the last twenty days.

The Party of the European Left strongly condemns the attacks exercised by the Israel army creating huge destruction in the West Bank and bombarding Gaza Strips. A great number of this bombings attacks are executed by drones and targeting the civilian population.

Since the kidnapping of the students on June 12 and before their dead bodies were found, the Israeli army has killed at least eight Palestinian citizens in cold blood, including a 13-year-old boy, and a disabled person. In that time there have been over 120 wounded people and the Israeli occupation forces arrested over 600 Palestinians, including 23 members of the Palestinian Parliament with its Chairman, Dr. Aziz Dweik.

The occupying forces carried out around 1300 break-ins, theft and destruction of property in homes, universities, schools, headquarters of Palestinian movements, among others. Israel has also intensified the persecution, arrests and torture against political leaders, especially against leaders of Hamas, journalists and social activists.

In the last days they intensified the bombing and the EL is very worried about the possibility of an increased wave of revenge and counter-violence provoked by the Israeli Government that could end up in new bloodshed and calls on Israel to act responsibly.