The foreign ministers from 25 Western nations have released a joint statement condemning Israel for its “inhumane killing of civilians” in Gaza and demanding an end to the genocidal war.
The statement was signed by ministers from the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The signatories strongly condemned the current “aid” system in Gaza, which is run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and has become a death trap for starving Palestinians.
“The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability, and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food,” the signatories said.
“It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” they added.
The 25 nations also condemned Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel and called for the remaining Israeli captives to be released while demanding an unconditional ceasefire.
“We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar, and Egypt to achieve this,” the 25 nations said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected the statement and blamed the lack of a ceasefire on Hamas, although Hamas’s long-standing position has been that it would release the remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, which Israel has rejected. “Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
The statement comes as Israel has escalated its military operations in Gaza, and the daily death toll regularly exceeds 100 Palestinians, including many aid seekers. The Gaza Health Ministry has also reported a spike in starvation deaths due to the Israeli blockade. Despite the daily atrocities, the US continues to provide military aid, which Israel relies on to sustain its military operations.
