U.K., France and 23 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now'
The foreign ministers of countries including Australia, Canada and Japan said 'the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths' and condemned '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 Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the statement said.
'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.
The signatories included the foreign ministers of about 20 European countries as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and the European Union commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management.
The U.S. and Germany did not sign the statement.
The signatories called for an immediate ceasefire, adding they are prepared to take action to support a political pathway to peace in the region.
Gaza's population of more than 2 million Palestinians is in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, now relying largely on the limited aid allowed into the territory. Many people have been displaced multiple times.
Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive.
Israel's military offensive has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas in negotiations.
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The Hill
a minute ago
- The Hill
Top Trump officials traveling into Gaza amid food crisis
Top Trump administration officials will travel into the Gaza Strip on Friday to inspect food distribution amid international outrage over increasing deaths from starvation and criticism that U.S. efforts to distribute food are contributing to suffering and death. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy for peace missions, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will travel into Gaza to 'inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear first hand about this dire situation on the ground.' Leavitt said that Witkoff and Huckabee are expected to brief Trump tomorrow after their visit, and the president will 'approve a final plan for food and aid distribution.' The administration has provided little to no details on Trump's announcement, made earlier this week, that the U.S. would set up 'food centers' in Gaza. Trump made the promise after acknowledging starvation among the population in the strip, in a rebuke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims that there's no food crisis there. Still, humanitarian workers, non-governmental organizations and the United Nations are highly critical of Trump's efforts to take over food distribution in the strip. Trump backed the establishment of the U.S.-founded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) that took over food distribution alongside Israel shutting down the majority of humanitarian access points for delivering aid. But the U.N. says that since May, approximately 674 people have been killed while trying to access food aid through the GHF, under threat from the Israeli military and with GHF contractors reportedly using live ammunition and stun grenades against aid seekers. 'The new distribution scheme imposed by Israeli authorities through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and other actors has created, actually a dangerous power vacuum,' said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead with Oxfam, during a briefing by humanitarian workers organized Tuesday by the nongovernmental organization Save the Children. 'It's sidelined established humanitarian actors like us and the U.N. agencies and have tightly controlled the minimal aid coming in.' The Israeli government responded to international pressure to allow more food aid in and for the U.N. and NGOs to begin pick up and distribution. Israel recorded more than 2,000 trucks with food and other supplies heading into Gaza in July, compared to over 1,800 in June and less than 1,000 in May. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames Hamas for diverting food aid, Israeli military officials reportedly found no evidence of systematic and wide-scale diversion. The United Nations recorded that between May and July, approximately 1,753 trucks have failed to reach their destinations because they are overrun by 'peaceful, hungry people' or armed groups. Food crisis experts warned earlier this week that 'the worst-case scenario of famine' is occurring in the Gaza Strip and Israel is growing increasingly isolated, diplomatically, as countries around the world call on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as manufacturing the crisis. France and Canada have announced plans to recognize an independent Palestinian state as a direct rebuke to Israel, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has threatened to do the same if Netanyahu does not take steps to end the war against Hamas and alleviate the crisis in the strip. And while Trump has largely stood by Netanyahu's pursuit of the war, support in Washington is fracturing. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), a firebrand for Trump's America First movement, became the first Republican to accuse Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. On Wednesday night, a majority of the Senate Democratic caucus voted in favor of blocking weapons sales to Israel.
The Hill
a minute ago
- The Hill
Greene says Israel is ‘systematically cleansing' its enemies as she rips US aid
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Newsweek
2 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Exclusive: EU Ambassador Reveals Next Challenges After Trump Trade Deal
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with Newsweek, European Union Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupšienė revealed the next priorities for the 27-member bloc in navigating the challenges associated with the longstanding and evolving partnership with the U.S. and other top geopolitical issues. The conversation comes days after President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a historic trade deal, halving the 30 percent tariff rate threatened by the U.S. leader on most EU goods and spurring hopes of re-stabilizing transatlantic ties. Neliupšienė said the deal has helped to achieve a level of "predictability and certainty" in the bilateral relationship. Now, the EU is moving to address lingering trials on other fronts, particularly as they relate to Russia's war in Ukraine, China's growing economic influence and the need for Europe to assert itself more strongly on the world stage. And while Neliupšienė argues that the EU is currently looking to shore up independent security capabilities across Europe, she also said that it was simultaneously seeking to bolster its defense partnership with the U.S., including through the provision of arms, which Trump said amounted to the EU "purchasing hundreds of billions of dollars-worth of military equipment," as part of the recent deal. "Because of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and because for European countries, security is really an existential topic right now," Neliupšienė told Newsweek, "I think cooperation on the strategic level, but as well on defense procurement with the U.S., is extremely important." European Union' Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupšienė speaks at a rally at the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, marking two years since Russia's war on Ukraine, on February 24, 2024.... European Union' Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupšienė speaks at a rally at the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, marking two years since Russia's war on Ukraine, on February 24, 2024. More Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Europe on the Frontlines The EU has emerged as a key player in supporting Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion, sparking Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. As of this month, the EU and its 27 member states have pledged $180 billion in assistance to Kyiv as it attempts to fend off its great-power neighbor. The number surpasses the estimated $175 billion allocated to Ukraine by the U.S., which, under Trump, has repeatedly expressed skepticism about long-term commitments to the war. The White House is currently pushing both sides to sign a peace deal, breaking with the previous administration by pursuing direct talks with the Kremlin. While Trump has more recently expressed more pointed criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and shortened his deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, Neliupšienė argued that the EU committed indefinitely to ensuring Ukraine's victory in the conflict. "I think that we have no choice of helping Ukraine and stepping up our support, making sure that they can defend themselves, that they can defend the principles they are fighting for," Neliupšienė said. "I think that sometimes we forget the principle where we started," she added. "We will support it as long as it takes and as much as it takes for making sure that Ukraine actually can win." Ukrainian emergency work amid the rubble of a residential building after a Russian air attack in Kyiv on July 31, 2025. Ukrainian emergency work amid the rubble of a residential building after a Russian air attack in Kyiv on July 31, 2025. SERGII VOLSKYI/AFP/Getty Images 'No Alternative' Beyond military assistance, she explained that this endeavor would take further economic action, including additional sanctions and waning the continent off of Russian oil and gas, a measure supported by the recent trade deal through which the EU pledged to purchase some $750 billion dollars' worth of U.S. energy over the next three years. "I really believe that there is really understanding at the moment among all 27 member states that this is the right thing to do and we will do it because there's no alternative," Neliupšienė said. "I don't see any alternative at the moment." The only "alternative" she did identify was that "Russia can stop fighting that war, and then that will be probably the first step towards inspiring peace." As for what an eventual settlement could look like, she emphasized that such a framework should be "really in the hands of Ukraine," while noting that the EU would continue to play a role in promoting a resolution. "Russia's war in Ukraine is actually at our borders, at the European borders, and Europeans would probably full-heartedly support the peace settlement," Neliupšienė said. "And I think that, in this way, President Trump's effort is very much welcome." "Yes, we have conversations of how we see that and what that could be, that could be on the European level, but it's definitely happening on the member state level as well," she added. "I don't see it as in a competition. I see that as everyone who can contribute to that should have a say." A Russian Giatsint-S self-propelled gun fires towards Ukrainian positions on an undisclosed location in Ukraine on July 31, 2025. A Russian Giatsint-S self-propelled gun fires towards Ukrainian positions on an undisclosed location in Ukraine on July 31, 2025. Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/AP The China Challenge Three days before the EU-U.S. trade deal was announced, EU leadership held a summit in the capital of Washington's leading global competitor, Beijing. Among other things, the high-profile meeting produced an "upgraded export supply mechanism," through which the EU seeks to ease access to China's rare-earth elements. China dominates the supply chain of these critical metals, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the world's supply and 90 percent of processing, and instituted new export restrictions in April as trade tensions with the U.S. mounted. But even with this breakthrough, serious issues remain in the relationship. One concern repeatedly brought up by the European side was China's reported export of dual-use technologies to Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Dual-use technologies — which can encompass everything from satellites to semiconductors — are developed for civilian use but have potential military uses as well. "We have the situation that China is continuing to provide and to sell some of the of the dual-use [technology] and their components, which would then end up in the in the battlefield in Ukraine, which is not acceptable," Neliupšienė said, "because it prolongs the war." "And I think that is a responsible responsibility of major actor in the region, to make sure it's not happening," she added. Beijing has denied providing any "lethal equipment" to either side of the conflict, while also fostering efforts to develop its strategic partnership with Moscow. Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) meets with visiting European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) ahead of the China-EU Summit, at the Great Hall of the People... Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) meets with visiting European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) ahead of the China-EU Summit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on July 24, 2025. More Xie Huanchi/Xinhua/AP Open for Business Neliupšienė said the EU would also continue work to address other obstacles in the bloc's relationship with China, including a need for "rebalancing" trade relations. She said that the EU currently accounts for roughly 15 percent of China's exports, while EU exports to China were only around 8 percent. The problem is compounded by what she saw as "non-market practices" on the part of China, including overcapacity, subsidized industry and lack of market access, which she said the EU was currently investigating. "We are open for free trade. So, Chinese companies can participate in and be part of our market, while European companies do not necessarily get that," Neliupšienė said. "And their export control of the rare earth and permanent magnets has as well distorted economic relations." Still, given China's growing role in global affairs, she acknowledged that the EU would continue to find ways to work with Beijing, even as it sought to compete and, in some cases, rival the People's Republic. "You still have an element where we are glad to work with China," Neliupšienė said, "for example, on climate change, and how we move forward on green technologies, which I think that everyone who sees the situation in the world right now understands that there are certain things which we have to do as all major economic actors in here." "So, it's like multiple relations," she added, "and I think that it will continue to be, as in our strategic documents, we are trading partners, we are competitors, and we are systemic rivals." China President Xi Jinping (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) walk inside the Kremlin's Grand Palace at the Kremlin in Moscow, on May 8, 2025, ahead of celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the... China President Xi Jinping (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) walk inside the Kremlin's Grand Palace at the Kremlin in Moscow, on May 8, 2025, ahead of celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II. More Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP The Future of European Security As the EU tackles challenges mounted by both Russia and China, Neliupšienė asserted that the first order remains on the home front. "First of all, we have to concentrate on the on the challenges at home, and this Commission, in this cycle, what is needed for the European Union is actually to make sure that we increase our competitiveness," Neliupšienė said. "And we can really concentrate on innovation, on research, on the things which make sure that our economy is growing, and we can contribute not only economic growth, but the jobs and prosperity for our people," she added. These efforts also include ramping up defense spending at a time when the European Commission has already announced earlier this year that member states would spend some $685 billion — on top of more than $170 billion in EU loans — to mount a massive rearmament plan. The push comes amid growing calls from EU leaders to curb reliance on the U.S. for security assurances, appeals that have been amplified by frictions that have emerged between the Trump administration and European allies. As Neliupšienė notes, the process will likely take some time. President Donald Trump reads from a paper as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listens after reaching a trade deal between the U.S. and the EU at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry,... President Donald Trump reads from a paper as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listens after reaching a trade deal between the U.S. and the EU at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 27, 2025. More Jacquelyn Martin/AP "The idea of this money actually is to make sure we are boosting our defense capabilities and defense production and defense industry," she said, "because, well, it's pretty clear that it was the request of the United States, and especially the current leadership, that the EU has to step up." "Of course, it will never happen overnight," she added. "We are speaking about really high tech [platforms]. We are speaking about certain platforms of defense technologies which we have to keep up and to develop if we want to be more independent." Ultimately, she said, "what for us is extremely important in this situation is to make sure we have more strategic independence, we have diversification, and we are really increasing the production and real defense industry on the ground, to have a possibility to not only to defend ourselves, but to deter." Thus far, the recent trade deal paves the way for an improvement in EU-U.S. ties that trended toward uncertainly with Trump's election, his administration's courting of right-wing nationalist populist parties in Europe that have questioned the EU project and questions of the U.S. commitment to European security. Neliupšienė remained confident that the EU and the U.S. would continue to find ways to cooperate on common challenges. "Russia's war in Ukraine, this is one challenge. We have another geopolitical challenge, if you look at the map, the Middle East is not really somewhere else, it's at our borders," she said. "There are a lot of things to do, as we talked about China and overcapacity, economic security, this is where actually the EU and U.S., working together, can make a change and move this needle, which is actually needed globally." "I don't think the United States can find a partner who would be closer, who would be more willing to cooperate than the European Union. And I do believe that, and I'm sure we will stand to our values," she added. "We are really a freedom- loving country, we are a democracy, we are a rule of law-based entity, and we will stand with those values. And I think that this is what makes this transatlantic relationship work."
