Israel condemned a revived call for an end to the “occupied Palestinian territories,” saying countries involved in the call are “disconnected from reality.”
The initial statement, issued Monday by 28 countries, asserts that the “war in Gaza must end now.”
“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,” the joint statement declared. “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.”
“It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid,” the countries claimed. “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.”
Foreign ministers of 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, Switzerland, and the UK signed the joint statement.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry asserted that the claims issued by the countries “should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it.”
“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation,” the foreign ministry added. “Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides.”
President Trump’s Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the statement “disgusting” and added, “Blaming Israel is irrational.”
