BRUSSELS (Chatnewstv.com) — The foreign ministers of six European countries on Friday condemned Israel’s latest military offensive in Gaza and its announcement of a permanent presence in Gaza City, warning that the escalation risks worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
In a joint statement, the top diplomats of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain said intensified military operations “will endanger the lives of hostages who cruelly remain at the hands of Hamas and will lead to the intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians, including women, children and elderly people.”
They called the forced displacement of Palestinians a “flagrant violation of international law” and said the destruction of civilian infrastructure — including shelters for displaced people — was unacceptable. “We urge the Israeli government to immediately reconsider its decision and cease operations. This spiral of violence must end,” the ministers said.
The statement expressed alarm at the confirmation of famine in Gaza by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and its projection that hunger will spread to other areas in the coming weeks. “The humanitarian situation remains critical and must immediately be addressed,” the ministers said, calling for the full access of UN agencies and aid groups.
The ministers also criticized Israel’s settlement expansion in the West Bank, saying it was illegal under international law, and condemned attacks by violent settlers “who appear to be acting with impunity.”
“Ongoing military operations in both Gaza and the West Bank represent a serious obstacle to the implementation of the two-state solution, which is the only path towards long-lasting peace,” the statement read.
The officials urged both sides to agree to a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages and the rapid entry of large-scale humanitarian aid. “The international community will not remain silent in the face of human rights violations, and we will continue working intensively for peace,” they said.
