Foreign affairs ministers from 24 nations join Simon Harris in calling for end to war in Gaza
Simon Harris issued a statement along with his fellow ministers, which said "the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths".
The ministers said the Israeli government's aid delivery model is "dangerous, fuels instability, and deprives Gazans of human dignity".
"We 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. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.
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 goes on to condemn the "continued detention" of hostages taken at the beginning of the war in October 2023 and calls for "their immediate and unconditional release".
It adds negotiated ceasefire "offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families".
"We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively.
We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a 'humanitarian city' are completely unacceptable.
"Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law."
The ministers said they would not support any forced displacement or changes to Palestinian borders and hit out at a settlement plan proposed by Israel.
"We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel's Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law, and critically undermine the two-state solution.
Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated, while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.
"We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.
"We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region."
Ministers from 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 UK issued the joint statement.
Read More
Pope Leo renews call for immediate Gaza ceasefire
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Letters: War in Gaza is existential for Israel, we should have more nuanced discussion
The editorial and one letter gave credence to Dr Nick Maynard who is on record as stating that, despite extensive evidence to the contrary, he has never seen Hamas operating in his hospital. He has accused the IDF of playing a game whereby it shoots different parts of kids' bodies on different days. How likely is that? One of the first questions we all should ask when listening to evidence is 'cui bono?' or who benefits? In 2014, Hamas released a video instructing journalists and witnesses how to report on events in Gaza. It states 'anyone killed or martyred is to be called a civilian from Gaza or Palestine... Don't forget to always add 'innocent civilian' or 'innocent citizen' in your description of those killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza' In his letter, the usually balanced Rob Sadlier sees similarities between Sarajevo and Gaza. Important differences are that Serbs, unlike Israel, were not attacked. Indeed Israel forcibly removed its settlers from Gaza in 2005; residents of Sarajevo were not holding Serbian hostages; the Serbian armed forces (and the Nato bombing response) did not warn civilians to evacuate areas where bombings were planned. Every Gazan non-combatant killed is a tragedy, but to compare fighting against Hamas with the random bombing of Sarajevo is unfair. I am a long-term supporter of reconciliation and a two-state solution to this issue. I know that conscript armies commit atrocities in war and I am appalled by the statements of Israeli extremists. Since October 7, I have seen a large increase in international references to Éamon De Valera's letter on the death of Adolf Hitler. This issue is harmful for Ireland and I hope we can have a more nuanced discussion that does not feed accusations of antisemitism but also understands that for Israel, this is existential. Frank Devine, Kenilworth, England The Holocaust's lessons are being forgotten and hatred is rising once again The lessons of the Holocaust are searingly relevant today. It is dispiriting that 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, hatred and intolerance still lurk in the human heart. Language is used to dehumanise, demoralise and demonise others. People in Gaza are neither alive, nor dead. They are walking skeletons. The heart-wrenching images of children becoming wretched, destitute, with little more than skin covering their bones, should shame the world that prides itself on championing human rights and dignities. We must be fearless in resisting violence. We must never rest in seeking to create a fairer and peaceful world for all without exception. Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob, London Slaughter of innocents in Gaza shames all of us who watch on and fail to act Nothing disgusts me more than seeing the absolute slaughter of men, women and children in Gaza. Since the Israeli invasion, tens of thousands of people have been killed, 17,000 of them innocent children. Food trucks are only allowed in periodically, and the starving and besieged people are subjected to gunfire as they race to obtain sustenance in order to feed themselves. Recent reports suggest that many young boys appear to have been used as target practice. This is horrendous. As babies appear every night on our television screens looking like skeletons with a haunting look of death and despair on their faces, it should move the coldest of hearts in world leadership roles into action to alleviate their suffering instantly. But no, they talk and talk, but do not intervene in this total barbarism. The people of Palestine are ordinary human beings and as such should be protected by human rights law. Anything else is a dereliction of duty by their fellow human beings. Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co Sligo President of Uruguay set an incredible example of selflessness and charity I would ike to pay tribute to a president who died a few months ago. President José Mujica of Uruguay held office from 2010 to 2015 and was described as the world's poorest president. He shunned the presidential palace and remained at home on his farm driving his tractor and his beloved Volkswagen Beetle. He shared his salary with the poor. He believed his lifestyle was normal and not exceptional. In his earlier life he opposed the democratically elected government as he firmly believed it was corrupt, clandestine, up to its eyes in backhanders and ultimately authoritarian. For his sins, he was arrested, banged up, shot six times but miraculously lived and was ultimately elected president. Noel Mannion, Clonbur, Co Galway We could secure energy needs for decades – but private profit trumps all I have been trying to avoid the news cycle while on holidays here in Donegal. However, a couple of stories did manage to catch my attention. Firstly the Oireachtas hearings on offshore renewable energy development and government subsidies for improving port infrastructure to facilitate it. Secondly, the upgrades to our national grid, which are to be paid for by a levy on energy consumers. If the Government invested around €10bn in a single, large, publicly owned offshore wind project, then profits from this could be used to upgrade both the grid and our ports. Belfast Port could be used in the interim. Furthermore, this would help secure our energy needs for decades to come and, once the initial investment is recouped, profits could be pumped into a sovereign wealth fund (as the Norwegians do with revenues). But, alas, there are no plans for anything like this. It does not even seem to form part of the discussion. No, just taxpayers' money being used to upgrade ports for the benefit of (oftentimes foreign) private corporations which will, in turn, exploit our natural energy resources. Paddy Sharkey, Kilcar, Co Donegal RTÉ should show due respect to counties in the camogie championship On Saturday evening I listened to the RTÉ Radio news and sport bulletin at 10pm. The lead sports item covered was the transfer of a player to Arsenal football club in Britain. Down the pecking order was a brief report on the Camogie All-Ireland semi finals played in Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. The O'Duffy Cup is the women's equivalent of the Liam MacCarthy Cup and should have been treated as such. Tom Cooper, Templeogue, Dublin
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
‘They don't want to end this war' – Israeli soldiers turning their backs on Benjamin Netanyahu
Just a few millimetres difference and he would have been killed, like six of his comrades were when they walked into a house in southern Lebanon last October, believing − wrongly − that it had already been checked for terrorists. 'It was a really horrible day,' the 26-year-old said. 'They opened the door, and behind the door were two Hezbollah fighters who immediately started firing with their rifles. Four soldiers died immediately.' Mr Fiener, a captain in Israel's 933rd Nahal Brigade, acquitted himself well, picking himself up and dragging wounded colleagues to safety as the battle raged for five hours. It was his destiny, having dreamt of becoming − like his father − an infantry officer for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) since he was a child. It is a role which carries elite status in Israel and has been the foundation stone for many a stellar business or political career. But he now chooses a different path. He is refusing to report for another stint of reserve duty and a potential deployment to Gaza, in disgust at the ongoing war that has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. 'When the bombing of Gaza started again, it became clear to me that our government wants to make this war as long as they can − they don't want to end it. I knew then I can't go back to serving in this war,' he said. Sentenced to 25 days in jail by Israel for refusing to serve, Mr Fiener is believed to be part of a growing wave of young Israeli reservists who feel they can no longer participate in their country's war in Gaza. The majority are not showing up to call-ups, either 'forgetting' to check their emails or pleading medical or family emergencies. Mr Fiener believes the images of starving children inside Gaza will mean fewer soldiers will turn up. Immense pressure has been building on Israel over the dire humanitarian conditions inside the strip, with aid agencies warning of mass malnutrition and widespread hunger. Mr Fiener's opinion on the futility of the conflict appears to be shared by a rising number of serving and retired senior officers who are turning against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war. General Assaf Orion, the former head of strategic planning at the IDF, said while there were clear strategic goals in the Israel campaigns against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, there was no longer any clear military imperative for the continuation of military operations in Gaza. It has nothing to do with Hamas and everything to do with Netanyahu 'In Gaza, I suspect that the strategic train of ends, ways and means was kidnapped by ulterior motives,' he said. 'I think the main reason for a prolonged war in Gaza is political expediency.' Eran Etzion, a former deputy head of Israel's national security council, was even blunter. He said: 'By now it has long been clear to most Israelis that the main reason the Gaza campaign lingers on is because of Netanyahu's political, personal and judicial interests, and he needs the war to go on in order to sustain and even enhance his grip on power.' Many believe Mr Netanyahu fears his government will collapse if the war ended as ultra-nationalist parties in his coalition would abandon him. 'That's the main reason. It has nothing to do with Hamas and everything to do with Netanyahu,' Mr Etzion added. Many believe Mr Netanyahu fears his government will collapse if the war ended as ultra-nationalist parties in his coalition would abandon him. If even some of the spate of leaks from Israel's security cabinet are to be believed, the scepticism is not confined to retired generals. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the IDF's chief of staff, is said to have argued there is little more to be gained by continuing the campaign − particularly without risking the lives of the about 20 remaining living hostages. Although degraded into a series of, in effect, independent guerrilla units, Hamas continues to fight amid the rubble, sending a stream of IDF body bags back to Israel. Mr Netanyahu insists Hamas must not just be broken as a military and governing force, but eradicated entirely, arguing at the same time that the best way to secure a hostage deal is to fight even harder. Israel's negotiating team returned home from Doha empty-handed this weekend, amid widespread pessimism that a deal will be agreed any time soon. Israel's reputation on the international stage is in crisis, with traditional allies such as the UK, France, Canada and Australia queuing up to condemn the escalating reports of starvation. Professional servants of democratically elected leaders, such as Lt Gen Zamir and those under him, are caught in the middle. This was perhaps best demonstrated this month by his opposition to a scheme of Israel Katz, the defence minister, to order the entire civilian population of Gaza into a so-called 'humanitarian city' built on the ruins of the southern city of Rafah. The military chief was reportedly anxious to protect his officers from potential complicity in a war crime, amid outrage that the zone – described by former prime minister Ehud Olmert as resembling a 'concentration camp' – could be a precursor to forced population transfer. It would also put his troops, who would ultimately police the perimeter and facilitate the entry of aid, under significant practical pressure. The military was further worried that Hamas would interpret the humanitarian city as a signal that Israel wanted to restart fighting after the proposed initial 60-day ceasefire, thus threatening a potential deal. The IDF leadership earned the ire of Mr Netanyahu by reporting the project could take a year and cost $4bn (€3.4bn). While the Israeli prime minister demanded a 'shorter, cheaper, more practical' plan, it is not clear whether the initiative will ever take place. The scheme may have been too much for senior generals, who are already deeply unhappy about the position their troops have been placed in under the new US-backed aid system. The UN accuses the IDF of killing more than 1,000 civilians near the new aid distribution sites in Gaza. According to multiple videos and witness testimony, crowd flow in and near these sites is extremely poor, and Israeli soldiers, who provide an outer ring of security for the American contractors, open fire if Palestinians come too close. The IDF has now captured 75pc of the Gaza Strip − the goal when it began Operation Gideon's Chariot, which started in May. Last week, it pushed into the town of Deir Al-Balah, the first time it is thought troops have deliberately sought to seize an area where intelligence indicated a high likelihood hostages are being held. The Gaza war is a long way past its culmination point Mr Netanyahu and his allies argue that leaving even remnants of Hamas intact in the strip would eventually precipitate another October 7-style massacre. They have so far rejected Arab proposals for an interim government to administer the enclave in the event of a permanent ceasefire. Gen Orion said: 'The Gaza war is a long way past its culmination point. 'Every military operation, like many human endeavours, has the rule of diminishing returns. 'At some point, great successes meet growing resistance and lose their efficiency. The costs rise and the benefits are lower. In Gaza, we are way past that point.' Although the true figures are closely guarded, some campaign groups and politicians believe the rate of attendance could be as low as 60pc. The majority are so-called 'grey refusals', who are people who plead medical problems, family issues or who simply go abroad during the call-up window and 'forget' to check their emails. Refusals on explicit political grounds are rarer but increasing, reflected in the growing number of public letters signed by reservists denouncing Mr Netanyahu's conduct of the war, and subsequent reprimands and dismissals. Accounts have emerged of officers frantically reaching out to reservists on social media, begging them to turn up, because their ranks are so depleted. At the same time, the acrimonious issue of Haredi conscription rumbles on, with Mr Netanyahu expected to give in on promises to force ultra-orthodox Jewish young men to turn up for military service. Mr Fiener's jail sentence was considered a relatively harsh penalty for refusal, given the maximum is 30 days. But he only served one night, as the prison was largely evacuated when Iran started firing ballistic missiles at Israel in June. Waiting to see if he will be recalled to jail, he believes the pictures and videos of what is happening in Gaza will further decrease the rate of call-up response. 'There are always a lot of people who are not sure if they are willing to go and every little thing can affect them,' he said.
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
UK prime minister and US president to discuss Gaza
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise the prospect of reviving ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas when he meets US President Donald Trump in Scotland. The prime minister will travel to Ayrshire, where the US president is staying at his Turnberry golf resort, for wide-ranging discussions on trade and the Middle East as international concern grows over starvation in Gaza. The two leaders have built a rapport despite their differing political backgrounds, with Mr Trump praising Mr Starmer for doing a "very good job" in office ahead of their talks. But humanitarian conditions in Gaza and uncertainty over US import taxes on key British goods in America threaten to complicate their bilateral meeting. Peace talks in the Middle East came to a standstill last week after the US and Israel recalled negotiating teams from Qatar, with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff blaming Hamas for a "lack of desire" to reach an agreement. Since then, Israel has promised military pauses in three populated areas of Gaza to allow designated UN convoys of aid to reach desperate Palestinians. But the UK, which is joining efforts to airdrop aid into the enclave and evacuate children in need of medical assistance, said that access to supplies must be "urgently" widened. During discussions with Mr Trump, Downing Street said the prime minister will "welcome the president's administration working with partners in Qatar and Egypt to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza". "He will discuss further with him what more can be done to secure the ceasefire urgently, bring an end to the unspeakable suffering and starvation in Gaza and free the hostages who have been held so cruelly for so long," it said. The leaders will also talk "one-on-one about advancing implementation of the landmark Economic Prosperity Deal so that Brits and Americans can benefit from boosted trade links between their two countries", it added. The agreement signed at the G7 summit last month cut trade barriers on goods from both countries. But tariffs for the steel industry, which is of key economic importance to the UK, were left to stand at 25% rather than falling to zero as originally agreed. Concerns had previously been raised that the sector could face a levy of up to 50% - the US's global rate - unless a further agreement was made by 9 July, when Mr Trump said he would start implementing import taxes on America's trading partners. But that deadline has been and gone without any concrete update on the status of UK steel. Downing Street said both sides are working "at pace" to "go further to deliver benefits to working people on both sides of the Atlantic" and to give UK industry "the security it needs". The two leaders are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine, which Number 10 said would include "applying pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the invasion, before travelling on together for a private engagement in Aberdeen. It comes after Mr Trump announced he had agreed "the biggest deal ever made" between the US and the European Union after meeting Ursula von der Leyen for high-stakes talks at Turnberry yesterday. After a day playing golf, the US president met the president of the EU Commission to hammer out the broad terms of an agreement that will subject the bloc to 15% tariffs on most of its goods entering America. This is lower than a 30% levy previously threatened by the US president. The agreement will include "zero for zero" tariffs on a number of products including aircraft, some agricultural goods and certain chemicals, as well as EU purchases of US energy worth 750 billion dollars (€638bln) over three years. Speaking to journalists yesterday about his meeting with the prime minister, Mr Trump said: "We're meeting about a lot of things. We have our trade deal and it's been a great deal. "It's good for us. It's good for them and good for us. "I think the UK is very happy, they've been trying for 12 years to get it and they got it, and it's a great trade deal for both, works out very well." Mr Trump said he thinks discussions will feature "a lot about Israel". "They're very much involved in terms of wanting something to happen," he said. "He's doing a very good job, by the way," he added.
