Following the public demonstrations and the views defended by the students and the Academic Community from the University of Porto – and in particular the positions upheld by the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (FPCEUP) – on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the FPCEUP bodies decided – after several reflections and institutional debates on the Human tragedy and the imminent life rick of over 2M inhabitants “stuck” in the Gaza strip – to issue the following statement:
“FPCEUP bodies strongly condemn all atrocities committed since October 7 2023, including Hamas’ terrorist attack (which killed over 1,200 people and made hundreds of hostages, including elderly people and children) and Israel’s military response (which killed over 35,00 Palestinians, mostly women and children). The conflict has already destroyed almost the entire social and economic structures of Gaza strip (including schools, hospitals, universities, social support centres, humanitarian support structures, a.o.) and threatens to decimate an entire defenceless population through war and hunger.
Therefore, FPCEUP bodies call on the whole national and international community (without exception) to use, urgently and firmly, all their influence both on the Israeli government so it immediately puts an end to the military aggression and withdraws from the Gaza territory; and on Hamas to immediately release all hostages (in line with the UN Security Council 2735 resolution).
FPCEUP bodies also call on the International Community to assume responsibilities and ultimately impose the International Law and the resolutions of the United Nations, which establish the creation of two independent states in the region, and to begin negotiating a plan for its effective implementation.
FPCEUP expresses unconditional solidarity with all the innocent victims of this conflict and shows full availability to support – to the extent of its scope and in line with the skills of its Human Resources – all the efforts to rebuild and requalify the educational sectors, including the education system and its health institutions (particularly in the field of Mental Health) or research institutions in territory of Palestine.”
