Twenty-five countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Japan, called for “immediately” to the war in the Gaza Strip besieged by Israel, in a joint declaration published on Monday.
” We […] We bring together around a simple and urgent message: the war in Gaza must stop immediately, “write the foreign ministers of these countries, for which” the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new heights “.
The two million Palestinians besieged by Israel in Gaza are on the verge of famine after more than 21 months of conflict, triggered by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023.
“The aid distribution model put in place by the Israeli government is dangerous, feeds instability and deprives the Gazaouis of their human dignity,” continue the signatories in reference to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the United States and Israel.
The GHF began its operations at the end of May, after a total humanitarian blockade of more than two months imposed by Israel. “It is terrifying that more than 800 Palestinians were killed while they were trying to get help,” write the ministers.
Last Tuesday, the UN indicated that it had identified 875 people killed by trying to obtain food since the end of May, including 674 “near the GHF sites”.
“The refusal of the Israeli government to provide essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,” they still denounce.
The signatories also call for the release of hostages, “cruelly detained” by Hamas.
The signatories also indicated “firmly oppose any initiative aimed at modifying the territory or demography in the occupied Palestinian territories”, calling for the cessation of colonization in these territories.
The signatory countries are 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 United Kingdom.
The declaration was also signed by the European Commissioner responsible for equality, Hadja Lahbib.
