National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes:

a) Israel’s disproportionate response to Hamas’s horrific attacks of 7 October 2023, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza;

b) that hostage taking is a war crime and that all those responsible for depriving Israeli and Palestinian civilians of their liberty and causing them harm must be held accountable;

c) Israel's banning of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which further increases the suffering of the Palestinian people; 

d) the International Court of Justice’s 2024 rulings which confirm the unlawfulness of Israel’s occupation of both Gaza and the West Bank; 

e) the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants issued for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, for alleged war crimes relating to the Gaza war; and

f) the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales’ letter to the First Minister of Wales which states that the escalating conflict in the Middle East demands our continued attention and action both for those affected abroad and for communities in Wales in line with our our statutory commitments to be a globally responsible nation under the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

2. Regrets the devastating human impact on Palestinian and Israeli civilians since 7 October 2023.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to ask the UK Government to:

a) suspend all arms exports to Israel, including indirect transfers, in line with international obligations and to prevent UK manufactured arms from being used in violation of international law;

b) enforce economic sanctions on the government of Israel and comply with the ICC arrest warrants;

c) call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the return of all hostages, and full and unfettered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza; and

d) recognise the Palestinian state and call for a lasting peace through diplomacy.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) ensure all Welsh Government activities, partnerships, and procurement practices are fully aligned with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and thus provide no support for companies or activities implicated in unlawful occupation or military action; 

b) ensure all public bodies conduct an urgent review of public sector pension investments to ensure they are ethical and sustainable. 

c) establish a framework for its partnerships with businesses to ensure no direct or indirect support for ongoing illegal military, occupation or apartheid practices in line with Wales’s commitment to global responsibility; and

d) ensure that links between Welsh and Palestinian civic and cultural groups are forged and promoted as part of its international strategy.