UK, France and 23 other nations condemn Israel over 'inhumane killing' of civilians, World News
The countries in a joint statement condemned what they called the "drip feeding of aid" to Palestinians in Gaza and said it was "horrifying" that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking aid.
The majority of those killed were in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites, which the United States and Israel backed to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations.
"The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity," the countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement. "The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths."
The call by about 20 European countries, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, for an end to the war in Gaza and the delivery of aid comes from many countries which are allied with Israel and its most important backer, the United States.
Among those calling for an end to the war are four out of five countries in the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the US
Israel's foreign ministry said the statement was "disconnected from reality" and it would send the wrong message to Hamas.
"The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation," the Israeli statement said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar later said he spoke with his British counterpart David Lammy on Monday on regional issues, including Gaza. He blamed Hamas "for the suffering of the population and the continuation of the war".
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the statement "disgusting" and said blaming Israel was "irrational" because Hamas rejects every proposal to end the war. Israel expands war
The plea from the other Western nations came as Israeli tanks pushed into southern and eastern districts of the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah for the first time on Monday.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland during more than 21 months of the war that began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, with the latest deaths reported on Monday as Israel began a new incursion in central Gaza.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing the UN-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the accusation.
The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which the GHF denies.
The countries behind the statement said Israel was denying essential humanitarian assistance and called on the country to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
They urged Israel to immediately lift restrictions to allow the flow of aid and to enable humanitarian organisations and the United Nations to operate safely and effectively.
They added they were "prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace" for Israelis and Palestinians.
Separately, the British government also set out a 60 million pound (S$103.6 million) humanitarian aid package for Gaza.
[[nid:720258]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
China warns public workers against ‘showing off' state secrets online
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Beijing has ramped up espionage warnings in recent years as ties with the United States and other Western nations have cooled. BEIJING - China's spy agency warned public workers on July 24 to curb their 'desire to show off' state secrets on social media. Beijing has ramped up espionage warnings in recent years as ties with the United States and other Western nations have cooled. Its Ministry of State Security (MSS) said this month that foreign spooks were targeting public officials with tantalising 'honey traps' and blackmail to infiltrate the country and steal sensitive information. In another admonition on July 24, the ministry turned its focus to newbie workers who, in its view, might be spending a little too much time online. It cited the example of a young man surnamed Jiang, a 'newly employed cadre at a certain agency' who received a confidential document during a regular work meeting. 'Out of a desire to show off, he took a photo of the front page and posted it on his WeChat Moments, causing a leak,' the MSS said, referring to the social media app's news feed. It added that Jiang faced punishment from the ruling Communist Party and 'administrative discipline' for his actions. In a similar case, a greenhorn worker surnamed Tian 'casually' shared his progress on a confidential project with a colleague, whose family overheard the conversation and posted about it online. Another 'novice' mistake involved a scientific worker surnamed Li, who lazily uploaded sensitive data to an artificial intelligence app to generate a research report, causing a leak. 'New employees in confidential units... must strictly distinguish between work and life boundaries, strictly follow confidentiality agreements while socialising and entertaining, and strictly control their 'desire to show off' and 'vanity',' the MSS said. Beijing and Washington have long traded accusations of espionage. In China, spying can be punishable by death. The MSS said in March it had handed such a sentence to a former engineer for leaking state secrets to a foreign power. This month the MSS said it had cracked three spying plots, including one in which a public servant was bewitched by the 'seductive beauty' of a foreign agent. Enmeshed in a 'meticulously designed honey trap', the hapless employee was blackmailed with 'intimate photos' and forced to hand over official documents, landing him five years in prison, the ministry said. AFP
Business Times
30 minutes ago
- Business Times
Xi says China, EU must deepen trust in turbulent world
[BEIJING] Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and the EU must deepen trust in a turbulent world, as he hosted the European bloc's bosses for a summit in Beijing on Thursday. Both sides can find 'common ground', he stressed, even though the areas of friction range from trade to the Ukraine war to human rights. Beijing has sought to draw the European Union closer as it positions itself as a more reliable partner than the United States and a bedrock of stability in a troubled world. But the EU has made clear it will confront deep divisions over trade, fears that cheap, subsidised Chinese goods could overwhelm European markets and Beijing's tacit support for Russia's war against Ukraine. Though nominally intended to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties, the long list of grievances set the stage for a contentious summit. 'The more severe and complex the international situation is, the more important it is for China and the EU to strengthen communication, increase mutual trust, and deepen cooperation,' Xi said, welcoming EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Antonio Costa. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Arriving in Beijing on Thursday, von der Leyen said in a post on X that the visit offered 'the opportunity to both advance and rebalance our relationship'. 'I'm convinced there can be a mutually beneficial cooperation,' she said. Brussels has acknowledged Thursday's talks between its top bosses and Chinese President Xi and Premier Li Qiang later in the day may be tense. 'We know that we don't see eye to eye with China on many issues,' a senior EU official told AFP last week. 'But we believe that it is essential to have this kind of very direct and open and constructive conversation sitting at the table at the highest level.' Top of the agenda for the EU is the yawning trade deficit with China that stood at around US$360 billion last year and which von der Leyen has described as 'unsustainable'. Beijing has dismissed those concerns, insisting that Brussels must 'rebalance its mentality', not its economic ties with China. 'Not naive' Von der Leyen has also said Brussels will demand that China eases market access for European companies and loosens export controls on strategically crucial rare earths. The EU has imposed hefty tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, arguing that Beijing's industrial subsidies unfairly undercut European competitors. China has rebuffed that claim and announced what were widely seen as retaliatory probes into imported European pork, brandy and dairy products. A second key source of friction is Russia's war in Ukraine - Brussels says China's deepening political and economic relations with Russia since the 2022 invasion represent tacit support for Moscow that have helped its economy weather sweeping Western sanctions. Last week, the bloc adopted a new package of sanctions on Russia over the war -- including on two Chinese banks, leading Beijing's commerce minister to issue 'solemn representations' to his EU counterpart. 'This is a core issue for Europe,' the senior EU official said. 'We know that Chinese companies supply around 80 per cent of the dual-use goods to the war,' they said, referring to goods with nominally civilian uses but which can also have military applications. 'We're not naive. We're not asking China to cut relations, but to step up the customs and financial controls.' Downward trajectory Beijing said this week ties with the bloc were at a 'pivotal juncture' as both economic giants contend with an aggressive US trade strategy under President Donald Trump. 'Against the backdrop of increasing international turbulence, rising unilateralism, and rampant protectionism', the summit 'serves the interests not only of both parties, but also of the whole world', foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. Brussels has sought to temper expectations but pointed to areas like climate where it wants China to do more but where cooperation is seen as more feasible. But analysts say that concrete progress on any of the hot-button issues is unlikely. 'We should expect a very difficult moment,' Abigael Vasselier of the MERICS think tank told a briefing this week. 'This summit is not going to change the course of Europe-China relations, which is one of deterioration due to structural issues,' she said. 'Europe needs to be ready for a long-term struggle and probably needs to rethink its China strategy at this stage.' AFP
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
US should focus on economic ties to compete with China in Indo Pacific, says former Australia PM
Australian incumbent Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during the second leaders' debate of the 2022 federal election campaign at the Nine studio in Sydney, Australia May 8, 2022. Alex Ellinghausen/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo SYDNEY - Australia's former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, testifying at a U.S. Congress panel hearing about countering China, has urged the U.S. to "double down" on its economic engagement in the Indo Pacific where Beijing is asserting influence. Speaking on Wednesday, Morrison said economic security is the main security focus of many countries in Southeast Asia, and U.S. leadership on economic issues and Western investment gives the region choice. "When China is active in a particular country ... the response to that is not for the U.S. or other allied interests to not be there, the response is to double down and be there even more strongly to provide them with that choice," he said. Morrison was invited to speak to the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party about his government's experience of China imposing $20 billion in unofficial trade sanctions after Australia called for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The sanctions were lifted by Beijing after Morrison lost a national election in 2022, and Anthony Albanese's Labor government sought to stabilise ties with Australia's largest trading partner. Morrison said the U.S. should work more with its Quad allies including Australia and Japan to build a supply chain for critical minerals and rare earths needed for defence equipment, including the nuclear-powered submarines Australia is buying from the United States under the AUKUS pact. "The processed rare earths, whether they go into nuclear submarines, F-35s or whatever it happens to be, that is essential for those things to be done," he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump was told he is in Epstein files, Wall Street Journal reports Opinion The US dollar is down, but it has a lot going for it Singapore Judge asks prosecution for more information on Kpods in first case involving etomidate-laced vapes Singapore Singapore Oceanarium will enhance tourism while supporting sustainability: Grace Fu Singapore 5 teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt Singapore Over 1.15 million Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 have claimed SG60 vouchers Opinion Cinemas struggle in a world that cannot sit still Asia Japan PM Ishiba refutes reports of imminent resignation after surprise US trade deal Deals similar to that struck this month for the U.S. Department of Defense to back U.S.-based rare earth magnets producer MP Materials "should be extended to allies and partners", he said. China recently demonstrated its leverage by withholding exports of rare earth magnets, upending global markets, before reversing course. The Australian public awareness of the potential threat posed by China is "somewhat in jeopardy", Morrison said, pointing to a Lowy Institute poll showing more Australians see China as an economic partner than a security threat. REUTERS
