SAEDNEWS: The European Union and nine Western states criticized the Israeli regime for its plan to take over Gaza City and called for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged strip.
Foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, alongside the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, have issued a joint statement strongly condemning the Israeli regime’s decision to launch a new large-scale military operation to take over Gaza City, according to the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The statement, issued on Saturday, warned that the offensive will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, endanger the lives of Israeli prisoners held in the strip, and cause further mass displacement of Palestinian civilians.
The ministers expressed grave concerns that the regime’s plans risk violating international humanitarian law, including any attempts at annexation or expanding settlements, which they labeled as violations of international law.
The group urgently called on all parties and the international community to work toward ending the conflict immediately through a permanent ceasefire. They emphasized the need for unrestricted humanitarian aid to reach Gaza’s civilians as the region faces a looming famine crisis.
Highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions, the ministers urged the Israeli regime to revise its recent restrictions on international humanitarian organizations to allow vital aid efforts to continue without obstruction, warning that excluding these actors would send a dangerous signal.
On Friday, Israel’s war cabinet approved a plot to capture Gaza City and tighten its grip on the besieged Gaza Strip, a move that sparked immediate global condemnation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also said that the regime sought to “take control” of the entire Gaza Strip, which has been under constant Israeli bombardment since October 2023.
