Twenty-six nations and the European Union have issued a joint statement demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation “unacceptable” and placing direct blame on the Israeli government for obstructing aid and violating international law.
The signatories include key Western allies such as Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and Australia, alongside nearly every major European Union country. Their message is unequivocal: the war must end now.
“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 signatories say.
They 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, calling the killing of over 800 Palestinians “horryfying.”
“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 hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release,” they say.
Israel’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance, they state, constitutes a breach of international humanitarian law. They call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on aid flow and enable humanitarian organizations and the United Nations to operate safely and effectively.
In a clear signal of potential escalation in diplomatic pressure, the signatories state that they are “prepared to take further action” in pursuit of both an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to long-term peace and security in the region.
Early on Monday, Israeli tanks launched their first ground assault on Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.
