Gaza: MSF calls on Luxembourg and the EU to act with political courage
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As the Foreign Affairs Council and the European Council approach next week, the Luxembourg section of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) held a public demonstration in front of the Chamber of Deputies today at noon, to remind leaders that impunity must end and human rights must prevail.
This action, titled “Red Line”, echoed the messages delivered by MSF’s Secretary General, Christopher Lockyear, during the European press conference held earlier this morning in Brussels.
For the first time since 7 October 2023, a coalition of Luxembourg-based humanitarian organisations — including Handicap International, Amnesty International, CARE Luxembourg, Médecins du Monde, and Greenpeace Luxembourg — supported MSF’s urgent and unequivocal call: to confront EU leaders with their responsibilities and demand concrete measures to end the siege on Gaza, halt the militarisation of humanitarian aid, restore a lasting ceasefire, and protect Palestinian civilians and humanitarian workers.
The European Union and European governments — including Luxembourg — possess political, economic, and diplomatic tools capable of exerting real pressure on Israel to end its offensive and open border crossings to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. These levers are not theoretical; they can and must be used to uphold international law and protect civilians.
We call on our political leaders to act decisively and finally use their influence on Israel to: lift the siege, defend humanitarian action, and end their complicity in this campaign of ethnic cleansing.
— Thomas Kauffmann, Executive Director of MSF Luxembourg
“Today, around 13,000 people — including over 4,500 children — are in urgent need of medical evacuation, with the right to return. Yet, despite these needs and the EU’s proven capacity, only a few hundred patients have been received by EU Member States. Luxembourg and other Member States must do more to prove that solidarity is more than just a word. Our leaders can and must act now.”
— Dr. Engy Ali, President of MSF Luxembourg
During this demonstration, MSF delivered in person its open letter to Mr. Claude Wiseler, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Gusty Graas, President of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, and other members of parliament, with whom MSF had the opportunity to discuss the situation in Gaza.
In this letter, Christos Christou and Christopher Lockyear, MSF’s Secretary General, urge the EU and its Member States to move beyond rhetorical statements and use all political, economic, and diplomatic levers to apply genuine pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing massacre of Palestinians in Gaza with total impunity.
What people are experiencing in Gaza is unbearable: this must stop now. As the military offensive against a besieged population continues, the hypocrisy of EU states that speak but do not act becomes more glaring every day.”
— Christopher Lockyear, Secretary General of MSF