Latest news with #HadjaLahbib
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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
UK, 24 other nations demand 'immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire' in Gaza
The nations' statement delivered a sharp rebuke to Israel over its handling of humanitarian aid, describing the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as 'dangerous' read more Palestinians mourn at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, where the victims of an Israeli strike which hit the Mustafa Hafez school, sheltering Palestinians displaced by the war, were brought, on July 3, 2025. AFP Britain and 24 other Western nations on Monday (July 21) demanded an immediate end to the war in Gaza, declaring that the humanitarian crisis had 'reached new depths' and urging an 'immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire'. In a joint statement, the group, which includes Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand and several EU countries, warned that 'further bloodshed serves no purpose' and pledged full support for the ceasefire efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end,' the statement said, adding that the signatories were 'prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire'. The statement delivered a sharp rebuke to Israel over its handling of humanitarian aid, describing the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) as 'dangerous' and accusing it of stripping Palestinians 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,' the statement said. 'The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.' It called on Israel to 'immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid' and enable UN agencies and humanitarian organisations 'to do their life saving work safely and effectively'. The UN reported last week that 875 Palestinians had been killed while trying to obtain food from GHF aid convoys. The GHF has largely supplanted traditional UN relief agencies in the besieged enclave. The signatories also condemned Hamas's continued detention of hostages, calling for 'their immediate and unconditional release', and argued that a negotiated ceasefire 'offers the best hope of bringing them home'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The joint statement further warned against Israeli plans to relocate Palestinians into a designated 'humanitarian city', rejecting it as a form of 'permanent forced displacement' and a violation of international law. 'We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,' the group said. The statement was also signed by Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management.
Euractiv
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Foreign ministers call for immediate Gaza ceasefire in joint statement
Foreign ministers from several countries — including EU member states and Hadja Lahbib, the bloc's equality commissioner — signed a joint statement on Monday calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the negotiation of a ceasefire. The joint statement, led by the UK government and endorsed by several EU foreign ministers as well as countries such as Canada, Australia, and Japan, declared that 'the war in Gaza must end now.' The letter called on the Israeli government to 'immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid' and to allow the UN and humanitarian NGOs to operate freely and deliver assistance to civilians. It also expressed opposition to any steps aimed at altering the status of the occupied Palestinian Territories, specifically referencing Israel's E1 settlement plan. "If implemented, [it] would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution," it said. Equality Commission Hadja Lahbib, who also signed the letter, stated in a post on X that the crisis in Gaza had reached 'an intolerable level.' She added: 'Only an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire can end the suffering.' The signatories also said they were prepared to take 'further action' to support an immediate ceasefire and advance 'a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.' (aw)
Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
War in Gaza 'must end now', urge UK and 24 allies
by Naharnet Newsdesk 21 July 2025, 18:00 Britain and 24 Western allies, including Australia, Canada, France and Italy, declared on Monday that the war in Gaza "must end now", arguing that civilians' suffering had "reached new depths". "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," the grouping added in a joint statement. "Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the U.S., Qatar and Egypt to achieve this." The signatories -- which also included Japan, several EU countries, Switzerland and New Zealand -- added they were "prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire". The wide-ranging statement branded the controversial Israeli-supported relief effort in Gaza as "dangerous" and said it 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," the statement said. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable," it added, urging Israel to "comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law". The statement called for the Israeli government "to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the U.N. and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively". The U.N. said last week that it had recorded 875 people who had been killed in Gaza while trying to get food via the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It has replaced U.N. agencies as the main distributor of aid in the territory. The 25-nation statement also condemned the continued detention of hostages in Gaza by Hamas militants, demanding "their immediate and unconditional release" and noting a negotiated ceasefire "offers the best hope of bringing them home". Meanwhile, the signatories said they "strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories" and said an Israeli plan to shift Palestinians into a so-called "humanitarian city" was unacceptable. "Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law," they warned. The statement was also signed by EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib.
Barnama
2 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
25 Countries, EU Condemn 'Inhumane Killing' Of Civilians In Gaza
A girl runs from the scene after Israeli strikes on a school sheltering displaced people at the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, July 17, 2025, in this screen grab from video obtained by Reuters. Reuters TV/via REUTERS LONDON, July 21 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- More than two dozen countries, including the UK, Australia, and Japan along with the EU on Monday condemned Israel's 'inhumane killing' of civilians in the Gaza Strip, called for an immediate end to the war in the besieged enclave, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of 25 countries and the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib said 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," it said. bootstrap slideshow "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." Labelling the killing of over 800 Palestinians while seeking aid since the start of operations by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in late May as "horrifying," the statement noted that 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," read the statement. The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, 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 as well as the EU commissioner. Also condemning the detention of hostages, they called for their "immediate and unconditional release." "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."
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
UK, France and 23 other countries say the war in Gaza 'must end now'
LONDON: Twenty-five countries, including Britain, France and a host of European nations issued a joint statement on Monday that puts more pressure on Israel, saying the war in Gaza "must end now" and Israel must comply with international law. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The foreign ministers of countries including Australia, Canada and Japan 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 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 statement 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," it added. Gaza's population of more than 2 million Palestinians is in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, now relying largely on the limited aid allowed into the territory. Many people have been displaced multiple times. Most of the food supplies Israel has allowed into Gaza go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor backed by Israel. Since the group's operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. The statement's signatories included the foreign ministers of about 20 European countries as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and the EU commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, Hadja Lahbib. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Notably absent from the list were the US and Germany. The signatories called for an immediate ceasefire, adding they are prepared to take action to support a political pathway to peace in the region. The statement from so many of Israel's Western allies deepens its isolation 21 months into its war against Hamas, which has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, sparked worldwide protests and led to an international arrest warrant against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel rejects criticism of its wartime conduct, saying its forces have acted lawfully and blaming civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in populated areas. It says it has allowed enough food in to sustain Gaza and accuses Hamas of siphoning much of it off. The United Nations says there is no evidence for widespread diversion of humanitarian aid. Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Israel and Hamas have been engaged in ceasefire talks, but there appears to be no breakthrough and it's not clear whether any truce would bring the war to a lasting halt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas in negotiations.
