Israel & US Amb Huckabee slam int’l statement denouncing Israel's ‘inhumane killing of civilians’ in Gaza

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar strongly rejected a joint statement signed by 25 countries, which harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza, and which was praised by the terror organization Hamas.

The statement echoed Hamas’ claims that Israel killed over 800 Palestinians seeking aid in recent weeks and denounced the “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians.”

“Hamas’s praise for the statement by the group of countries is the best proof of the mistake they made – part of them out of good intentions and part of them out of an obsession against Israel,” Foreign Minister Sa’ar wrote on 𝕏.

“We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now,” the statement began.

If Hamas embraces you - you are in the wrong place.
Hamas’s praise for the statement by the group of countries is the best proof of the mistake they made – part of them out of good intentions and part of them out of an obsession against Israel.
We are at a very sensitive moment… pic.twitter.com/ZLr7y0KdqD

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 21, 2025

“The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”

“The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” the statement continued.

The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.

Israel has maintained throughout the war that there were no limitations on the entry of humanitarian aid, except for several weeks earlier this year, and has called on international organizations to expand their operations in the enclave.

The Israeli foreign ministry rejected the statement as “disconnected from reality” and warned it would send the wrong message to Hamas, noting it (Hamas) is currently stalling the negotiations for a new ceasefire.

“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.”

“At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind,” the ministry added.

Hamas said it “welcomed” the joint statement, praising it for recognizing Israel’s “policy of starvation.”

“If Hamas embraces you – you are in the wrong place,” Sa’ar commented in a separate statement on 𝕏. “Countries must act responsibly and avoid playing into Hamas’s hands!”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, concurred, calling the statement “disgusting” in a post to his 𝕏 account.

“25 nations put pressure on Israel instead of (on the) savages of Hamas! Gaza suffers for 1 reason: Hamas rejects EVERY proposal. Blaming Israel is irrational,“ Huckabee wrote.