A Maltese-American person is stranded in war-torn Gaza in Palestine, Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg told Parliament on Monday.

He said that the government is in contact with its American counterparts in order to coordinate for the person’s evacuation when corridors out of Gaza open up.

Borg clarified that the Maltese-American is not being held hostage but has been identified as the last Maltese national in Gaza requesting assistance and evacuation. Borg said that discussions with American authorities are ongoing to make this happen.

Speaking in a ministerial statement on the war which has broken out in Palestine, the Minister said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is a critical one and referred to Israel’s decision to cut off the supply of electricity and water to the area, saying that it has complicated the humanitarian issue. He said that Malta believes Israel has the right to defend its lands, but that action has to be done in accordance with humanitarian laws.

Borg said that Hamas’ attacks were conducted with no consideration for the dignity of the people, and added that Malta stands by the position that the dignity and humanity of all people must be ensured.

“The European Union is not to suspend humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people,” he said. “These people now more than ever need humanitarian assistance.”

He continued that during these turbulent times, the need for diplomacy is strengthened further. He said that there needs to be a solution which leads to peace in the region. The Minister said that a concern now is that this conflict continues to spread throughout the region. He added that the Prime Minister will be participating in the European Council tomorrow in order to continue strengthening cooperation on this matter.

Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami began his intervention by saying that what occurred in Israel was “nothing short of a terrorist attack on a sovereign nation”. He referred to the attacks as vile and atrocious, adding that the actions of Hamas should be condemned entirely as inexcusable.

Fenech Adami said that Israel is right in defending its territories and its people, “It is right to take measures to ensure that what occurred never occurs again.”

He continued that what Hamas has done does nothing to strengthen the Palestinian cause and does nothing to deliver a better future to Palestinians. “Not all Palestinians are Hamas.”

The MP explained that Gaza is a small area densely populated by over two million people who are “going through terror”. He said that these people are innocent and are victims of the ongoing situation. “They are experiencing attacks and bombardments from the Israeli Forces,” he said, “There are hundreds of thousands of families with no electricity, water, food, or medicine.”

Fenech Adami reiterated his belief that Israel has the right to defend itself but appealed that it must do so in circumstances which respect international law and must not conduct itself indiscriminately. “Cutting off supplies to innocents is not justifiable … An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind,” he said, quoting Mahatma Gandhi.

He concluded by saying that all hostages in Gaza must be freed unconditionally and that there is an obligation to ensure that there are safe passages for innocent Palestinians to get out of danger.

Labour MPs Edward Zammit Lewis and Glenn Bedingfield echoed the sentiment that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people and said that the Palestinian people must not be made to suffer for the actions of a terrorist organisation.

Labour MP Randolph De Battista said that it must be made clear that the attack conducted by Hamas was a “barbaric act of terrorism”, but that it cannot be used as justification for “another Nakba which leads to an ethnic cleansing.”

He concluded by saying that Israel has the right to defend itself but that the distinction must be made between normal citizens and those conducting the attacks.

Nationalist MP Mario De Marco also addressed Parliament, echoing the sentiment that the massacres by Hamas could never be justified and that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a result of the shutting off of water and electricity should be lifted immediately.