The Mozemo! party put forward a proposal to the parliament on Tuesday in connection with the war in the Gaza Strip, seeking to oblige the government to advocate within the European Council for a ceasefire and for opening a probe into war crimes against civilians in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

The party demands that the Croatian government, working within the European Council, should call for the development of an operational plan for financing and continued delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, an end to the occupation of the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and urgent diplomatic action that will lead to a solution based on two mutually recognised states.

The proposal will be put to a vote on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference in the Parliament building, Mozemo! MP Sandra Bencic called on all MPs and political groups in the Croatian Parliament to show on Thursday “that Croatia firmly stands behind the values stated in Article 3 of the Constitution, one of which is peacemaking.”

Bencic and MP Jelena Milos called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the ruling majority to take a clear position on the catastrophic situation in Gaza, stand up for the protection of civilians and support their party’s proposal.

“Every day in Gaza we witness devastating bombings, the prevention of humanitarian aid deliveries and the killing of civilians, including an enormous number of children,” Milos said.

“The government must call for a ceasefire, not just for humanitarian pauses, and make it clear that the brutal violence and bloodshed against civilians and children must stop immediately,” she added.

Milos said that Thursday’s vote would be the moment of truth. “The first opportunity for the prime minister to call for a ceasefire will also be on Thursday, when the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, visits Croatia”.

Milos said that the response to the brutal violence of Hamas cannot be the killing of civilians and the collective punishment of the residents of Gaza.