25 nations accuse Israel of withholding humanitarian aid, demand end to Gaza War in joint statement

Some 25 countries from around the world issued a joint condemnation on Monday of the Israeli government’s aid restrictions and evacuation plan in Gaza amid the ongoing war with Hamas.

The coalition – including France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, and New Zealand – also called for an immediate end to the war, which began when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, massacring 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others.

The vast majority of those killed in the Oct. 7 invasion were civilians, including children, women, and elderly Holocaust survivors.

The international coalition of countries argued that the civilian toll in Gaza has “reached new depths.” 

“We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” the countries said in a joint statement. The countries jointly declared their support for the American and Arab mediation efforts. 

“Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.”

The international coalition of countries blasted the Israeli-backed humanitarian Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as “dangerous” and claimed that it strips Gazan residents of “human dignity.” 

“We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food,” the countries said in the joint statement.

“The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,” the statement continued, calling on the Israeli government to “comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.”

The 25 countries also demanded that Jerusalem “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.”

The United Nations claims that some 875 people have been killed while trying to receive food at the Israeli- and American-backed aid distribution points in Gaza. 

While there is broad agreement that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened, the international coalition failed to address the fact that Hamas has consistently used civilians as human shields and actively sought to disrupt Israeli and American aid efforts.

Multiple Gazans have testified that Hamas gunmen killed civilians who approached Israeli-designated aid distribution points. Nevertheless, much of the international community continues to place primary blame on Israel for the civilian deaths in Gaza.

The GHF reported in June that Hamas terrorists attacked a Gazan bus, killing 5 civilian workers. 

Addressing the issue of the remaining Israeli hostages, the international coalition demanded from Hamas “their immediate and unconditional release,” adding that a truce “offers the best hope of bringing them home.”

The coalition also condemned Israel’s proposals for relocating Palestinians to what has been referred to as a “humanitarian city,” rejecting the concept outright.

Any efforts to redraw Gaza’s demographic map would constitute a breach of legal norms they warned, claiming that “Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.” The purpose of Israel’s relocation plan is to minimize civilian casualties and prevent Hamas terrorists from hiding behind Gazan civilians. 

The countries also blasted the Israeli plan to relocate Gazans to what has been termed “humanitarian city,” claiming that such measure constitutes an effort to change Gaza’s demography on the ground. 

“Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law,” the countries stated. 

The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to the international criticism by arguing that the condemnation was misdirected and detached from the reality on the ground in Gaza. 

"Israel rejects the joint statement published by a group of countries, as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas," the foreign ministry in Jerusalem stated.

The ministry urged the international community to hold Hamas accountable for the war it started and the human suffering on both sides of the conflict. 

"Instead of agreeing to a ceasefire, Hamas is busy running a campaign to spread lies about Israel. At the same time, Hamas is deliberately acting to increase friction and harm to civilians who come to receive humanitarian aid," the Israeli foreign ministry concluded.