Residents gather to receive free food from a charitable kitchen in Gaza City - WAFA
CAIRO – 9 August 2025: The European Union (EU), France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Norway, Austria, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have jointly slammed the Israeli government’s decision to expand the operation in Gaza, urging an end to the tragic war.
In a joint statement on Friday, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the foreign ministers of these nine countries warned that the Israeli plan “will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians.”
They stated that the Israeli plans “risk violating international humanitarian law” and also warned against any annexation or settlement extension attempts as they breach international law.
The statement called for global pressure to bring a permanent ceasefire in place and end the war in Gaza amid the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation, including an unfolding famine.
“We urge the parties and the international community to make all efforts to finally bring this terrible conflict to an end now, through an immediate and permanent ceasefire that enables the provision of a massive, immediate and unimpeded humanitarian assistance, as the worst-case scenario of a famine is unfolding in Gaza,” the statement stressed.
They also stated that Hamas must immediately release the captives without preconditions and ensure their humane treatment.
Meanwhile, they urged the Israeli government to revise its recent registration system for international humanitarian organizations to ensure these vital actors can continue their essential work in accordance with humanitarian principles and reach civilians in need in Gaza.
“Their exclusion would be an egregious signal,” they warned.
The nine countries and the EU said they are united in their commitment for implementing a two-state solution as “the only way” to guarantee peaceful, secure and dignified Palestinian-Israeli co-existence with both peoples living side by side.
They urged the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role to pave the way for a political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution.
Gaza Takeover Plan
The Israeli security cabinet approved a plan on Friday to seize Gaza City, located in the northern part of the enclave and is home to hundreds of thousands of civilians, many of whom have been displaced multiple times during the war.
The five-point plan also indicates the establishment of an alternative civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, disarmament of Hamas, the return of all captives, and demilitarisation of Gaza.
Israeli media reports suggest the operation will begin with the full takeover of Gaza City, involving the forced relocation of up to one million residents to southern parts of the strip.
The decision threatens to deepen the humanitarian crisis as Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, displaced the entire population, and left the enclave facing an imminent famine with over 200 starvation-related deaths, half of them children.
The scheme has drawn Arab and global backlash, including from Israel’s closest allies in the west like the United Kingdom as well as Germany that has decided to suspend all arms exports to Israel as a consequence, and ignited protests within Israel and abroad.
Twenty-three Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, the Gulf states, and Turkey, alongside the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, also issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli plans as an attempt to entrench the illegal occupation and impose a fait accompli.
They stressed that “this declared course of action by Israel constitutes a continuation of its grave violations, including killing and starvation, attempts at forced displacement and annexation of Palestinian land, settler terrorism, which are crimes that may amount to crimes against humanity.”
Global, Local Rejection
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented on the Israeli plan on Friday, saying it is “increasingly difficult to understand” how Israel’s recent plan to seize Gaza City will help achieve the goals of freeing captives and disarming Hamas.
European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the Israeli decision “must have consequences for EU-Israel relations, to be assessed by the Council,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the Israeli government to “reconsider” its move.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined global criticism against the Israeli plan, describing it as “wrong” as it “will do nothing bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages” and “will only bring more bloodshed.”
Belgium has summoned the Israeli ambassador following the decision, calling the “continued colonization” of Palestinian territories “unacceptable and contrary to international law.”
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the Israeli plans “will only cause more destruction and suffering” and his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp called the scheme a "wrong move”.
Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon warned that such attempts “would further aggravate the already untenable humanitarian conditions” in the enclave and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen expressed extreme concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation.
The US seemingly remains supportive of Israeli policies, saying that the US share “a lot of common objectives” regarding the move to expand the offensive in Gaza but “there is some disagreement about how exactly to accomplish those common objectives.”
Domestically, Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the government’s decision “a disaster,” accusing far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich of pushing Netanyahu into “exactly what Hamas wanted.”
The families of Israeli captives have protested the Israeli decision, which threatens the lives of their beloved ones. Around 20 living captives are believed to be still alive in Gaza but are thought to be suffering from the starvation spreading across the enclave.
Be Social
Comments
Leave a Comment