UK, France, and 23 other nations slam Israel over ‘inhumane killing’ of civilians

A group of 25 countries — including the UK, France, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — issued a joint statement on Monday, saying Israel must stop its military operations in Gaza. These nations, many of whom are longtime allies of Israel, also condemned the “inhumane killing” of Palestinian civilians, especially near food aid centres.

In the statement, the foreign ministers of these countries said, “The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.”

The group bluntly criticised the way humanitarian aid is being allowed into Gaza, calling it a “drip feeding” system that fails to meet basic needs. They pointed out that more than 800 people have been killed while trying to collect food near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution sites. These sites are backed by both Israel and the United States and were set up to take over aid work from a United Nations-led system.

The joint statement called the situation “horrifying” and said Israel’s actions are denying Palestinians access to essential humanitarian assistance. It also urged Israel to lift restrictions and allow aid agencies, including the UN, to operate safely.

ISRAEL BLAMES HAMAS FOR THE CRISIS

In response, Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the claims. Officials called the international statement “disconnected from reality” and said it would only encourage Hamas.

“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation,” the Israeli government said.

Israel has repeatedly claimed that aid sent through the UN system has been stolen by Hamas fighters. However, Hamas has denied this allegation. Instead, Israel and the US have turned to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which uses private American companies to transport supplies, mostly bypassing UN channels.

The United Nations has spoken out against this model, saying it compromises humanitarian neutrality and puts civilians at greater risk. But the GHF insists it is doing its best to get aid to people in need.

The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants entered southern Israel, killed around 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli data. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has devastated the Gaza. Health authorities in the region say over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed so far.

– Ends

With inputs from Reuters