Desk Report,
28 countries, including UK and France, call for ‘stop the war now’ in Gaza
Twenty-eight countries, including the UK, France, Australia and Canada, and the European Union, have issued a joint statement calling on Israel to “stop the war now”. According to them, “human suffering has reached new depths” in Gaza.
28 countries, including UK and France, call for ‘stop the war now’ in Gaza
The joint statement is the latest example of the increasingly harsh language of Western allies towards Israel and the country’s increasing isolation in the international arena. Some international media outlets, including Al Jazeera, put the number of countries that have signed the statement at 25.
Israel’s ongoing massacre in Gaza is now more than 21 months old. The humanitarian situation for more than two million residents of the war-torn valley has reached a dire level. At such a time, the countries known as Israel’s close allies issued this joint statement on Monday.
The statement called for a negotiated ceasefire, the release of prisoners held by Palestinian fighters, and the unhindered flow of emergency humanitarian aid. The statement said, “We condemn the piecemeal relief deliveries and the brutal killing of civilians, including children, who were waiting for relief. These people were only trying to meet their basic needs, such as water and food.
According to the United Nations and the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel eased the blockade in late May after more than two months. Since then, 875 Palestinians have been killed while trying to collect aid.
In a joint statement, the countries said that the Israeli government’s aid distribution system is dangerous, which is fueling unrest and is depriving the people of their human dignity. What the Israeli government is doing by not providing the civilian population with essential humanitarian assistance is completely unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
The countries that signed the statement are the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The foreign ministers of the countries signed the statement on behalf of their countries.
According to the AFP news agency, Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said that Israeli forces killed 93 people who went to collect aid in the valley on Sunday. Of these, 80 were killed in the north of the valley. Nine were killed in the south near the Rafah area. And four were killed in Khan Younis.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that hungry Palestinians gathered near Gaza City as 25 trucks carrying aid from Israel approached. Israeli forces opened fire. However, the Israeli army said that the thousands of people gathered near Gaza City were a threat to them. So they fired warning shots.
Attacks on people going to receive aid in Gaza are increasing day by day. Most of the attacks are near the aid center of the controversial organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), run by the US and Israel.
