The United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand reject Israel's Gaza plan: "It violates international law."
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Italy, and New Zealand "strongly" rejected the Israeli security cabinet's decision to launch a new large-scale military operation in Gaza to occupy the Strip's capital and displace its inhabitants.
According to the text, released this Friday, August 8, by the British Foreign Office, the heads of diplomacy of the signatory countries consider that the operation "will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation , endanger the lives of the hostages and increase the risk of mass displacement of civilians."
Israeli tank returns from the Gaza Strip. Photo: AFP
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his counterparts in Germany, Australia, Italy, and New Zealand also warned that the plans announced by Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli government could violate international humanitarian law.
"Any attempt at annexation or settlement expansion violates international law," they said.
In this regard, they urged the parties and the international community to end the conflict "once and for all" through an immediate and permanent ceasefire that would allow for the unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance.
Palestinians searching for food at a distribution point in Gaza. Photo: AFP
"The worst possible famine scenario is unfolding in Gaza," the top diplomats asserted, urging Israel to modify its registration system for international humanitarian organizations so they can resume their work and reach the civilian population in need in the Strip.
The five signatory countries also stated that the Islamist group Hamas must release all Israeli hostages "without further delay or preconditions," and "ensure that they receive humane treatment and are not subjected to cruelty or humiliation."
Palestinians search for survivors in the rubble of a building following Israeli bombing. Photo: AFP
The text concludes with the ministers' joint commitment to implementing a negotiated two-state solution as the "only path" to peace, security, and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians, and one in which Hamas must be excluded from the equation.
"A political resolution, based on a negotiated two-state solution, requires the complete demilitarization of Hamas and its total exclusion from any form of government in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must play a central role," they concluded.
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