GAZA: Twenty-five countries, including the UK, France, Canada, and Japan, issued a joint statement on Monday demanding an “immediate” end to the war in the Gaza Strip. These nations emphasized that the suffering of Palestinian civilians under Israeli siege has reached a critical point. The foreign ministers of these countries stated, “We have come together with a simple and urgent message: the war in Gaza must stop immediately.” They added that the situation for civilians in Gaza is extremely dire. This announcement comes as approximately two million Palestinians living in Gaza, under Israeli blockade, face famine and a humanitarian crisis after more than 21 months of conflict that began with Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023. The signatory countries include 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, Switzerland, and the UK. Additionally, Hajja Lhabbib, the European Commissioner for Equality, has signed this statement. The statement also noted that Israel’s pattern of distributing humanitarian aid is “dangerous,” destabilizing, and undermining the dignity of the people in Gaza. Moreover, over 800 Palestinians have reportedly died while attempting to receive aid. These countries also called for the release of hostages who are said to be held “brutally” by Hamas and expressed opposition to any attempts to change the territorial or demographic status in the occupied Palestinian territories.
