28 Countries Call for End to Gaza War as Israeli Troops Advance into Deir al-Balah

Leaders

4 days ago

A group of 28 countries have called for an immediate end to the ongoing war in Gaza, as the Israeli troops launched ground operations in Deir al-Balah and other areas in central Gaza for the first time in the war.
The statement condemned Israel's 'inhumane killing' of Palestinian civilians seeking food and water, amid worsening humanitarian situation and an increase in Israeli targeting of Palestinian aid seekers. Gaza War Must End
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of 28 countries called for an immediate end for the war in Gaza, in the latest sign of Israel's allies growing anger and its increasing international isolation. 'The war in Gaza must end now,' the statement sent a clear message.
The statement's signatories include the 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, in addition to the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management. Strong Condemnation
The statement sharply criticized the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip and the aid distribution system, run by the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), amid the mounting death toll among Palestinian aid seekers.
'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 statement 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,' it added. A Call for Ceasefire
The statement also called for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, reiterating the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire to end the war. '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,' it said.
The foreign ministers voiced support for the mediation efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the US, expressing readiness to help in that regard. 'We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region,' they said. Rejecting Displacement
Moreover, the statement stressed the need to lift restrictions on aid flow and protect civilians, condemning the displacement of Palestinians. 'Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a 'humanitarian city' are completely unacceptable,' it noted.
'We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel's Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop,' the statement warned. Israeli & American Rejection
The joint statement was met by an Israeli and US rejection. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the statement 'disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.' It put the blame on the Palestinian movement for not accepting an Israeli-backed proposal for a temporary ceasefire.
'The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation. Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides,' the ministry's spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, posted on X.
Similarly, the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, commented on the statement, which includes many of the US allies, by calling it 'disgusting' and blaming Hamas for Gaza's suffering. Advancing into Deir al-Balah
For the first time since the start of the Gaza war, Israeli troops on Monday pushed into Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza – a city that has not seen a major ground activity during the 21-month war, according to the Associated Press (AP).
This has raised speculation that the remaining Israeli hostages are kept there. As a result, the main group representing hostages' families expressed shock and alarm over the incursion, demanding answers from Israeli leaders.
The Israeli military on Saturday issued evacuation orders for Deir al-Balah, an area that hosts large crowds of displaced people and several international organizations trying to distribute humanitarian assistance. The AP reported explosions and smoke in parts of Deir al-Balah. Targeting Aid Organizations
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that Israeli troops stormed into its main staff residence in the city, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward the coast. 'Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint,' it said in a statement.
The UN agency also said that its main warehouse there was hit by an explosion and a fire, undermining its ability to provide medical help for hospitals and emergency teams.
Furthermore, the UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said that a shrapnel damaged two guesthouses in Deir al-Balah, amid heavy Israeli airstrikes reported in the area.
Israel has seized large areas of Gaza and divided the territory with corridors stretching from the border to the sea, in a bid to pressure Hamas to release more hostages. Currently, 87.8% of Gaza is under evacuation orders or inside Israeli military zones, 'leaving 2.1 million civilians squeezed into a fragmented 12 per cent of the Strip, where essential services have collapsed,' according to the UN humanitarian coordinator.
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