UK, Canada and 26 other countries urge immediate end to Gaza war
The foreign ministers of countries also including Australia and Canada said 'the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths." They condemned '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 statement described as 'horrifying' the recent deaths of over 800 Palestinians who were seeking aid, according to the figures released by Gaza's Health Ministry and the U.N. human rights office.
'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the countries said. '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."
Israel and U.S. reject the criticism
Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected the statement, saying it was 'disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.' It accused Hamas of prolonging the war by refusing to accept an Israeli-backed proposal for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release.
'Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein posted on X.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also rejected the statement from many of America's closest allies, calling it 'disgusting' in a post on X and saying they should instead pressure the 'savages of Hamas.'
Germany was also notably absent from the statement.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X that he spoke with Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar on Monday and expressed the 'greatest concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation' in Gaza as Israel's offensive widens. He called on Israel to implement agreements with the EU to enable more humanitarian aid.
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