Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales has called on Israel to immediately withdraw from the occupied territories and for urgent action to be taken at all levels to prevent the horrifying situation in the Middle East from deteriorating further.

Jill Evans MEP, the party’s spokesperson for International Affairs said:

"Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales has long called on Israel to abide by UN resolutions and withdraw from the occupied territories. The crisis has now reached such an appalling level that we need to bring pressure to bear on all levels in order to re-establish a dialogue and end the spiral of violence which is engulfing the region."

"We condemn the brutal assaults on the Palestinian people. We are witnessing the use of heavy weaponry by the Israelis against civilians in densely populated areas. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed and injured in the recent attacks. Human Rights Watch have documented attacks on ambulances and emergency medical personnel which are in breach of the Geneva Conventions. Homes, schools, universities, hospitals, churches and mosques are being destroyed."

"The protection of civilians is paramount and we demand the immediate deployment of a UN peace-keeping force and humanitarian aid for those affected by the conflict."

"We also call upon the international community to cease all arms trading with Israel as a clear indication that their actions will not be tolerated."

Ends.