European countries slam Israel’s expanded offensive in Gaza
Thousands flee Gaza City as Israel threatens new offensive
Monitoring Desk
GAZA: After weeks of preparations and nearly two years into its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces on Friday launched an offensive on the enclave’s largest city, in a widely controversial move.
The foreign ministers of six European nations have condemned Israel’s expanded offensive in Gaza City and its plans to “establish a permanent presence” in the enclave’s largest city.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain reiterated that intensifying military operations in the war-torn enclave would “endanger the lives of hostages who cruelly remain at the hands of Hamas and will lead to the intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians.”
The ministers also denounced “the forced displacement of Palestinians, which represents a flagrant violation of international law.”
The statement said Israel’s “systematic destruction of essential civilian infrastructure, including locations that serve as refuge for extremely vulnerable displaced civilians, is unacceptable.”
They urged the Israeli government and military authorities to immediately cease its operations.
“This spiral of violence must end,” the statement said.
The ministers also said they were “horrified” by the UN-backed monitor’s confirmation of a famine in Gaza City and its surroundings, urging Israel to “uphold its humanitarian obligations.”
“The international community will not remain silent in the face of human rights violations, and we will continue working intensively for peace (…) We all need peace and stability to return to the region,” the statement concluded.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said that the bodies of two hostages have been recovered from the Gaza Strip.
The United Kingdom has said that Israeli officials will not be allowed to attend a major defense trade show next month in London.
The move comes amid a deepening diplomatic rift between the two long-standing allies over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
The UK this month said it plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in September unless Israel took specified steps toward ending the war in Gaza.
“The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,” a statement from the British Ministry of Defence said.
