A growing alliance of 25 countries demands an immediate ceasefire and condemns Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians and expansion of illegal settlements.
A widening group of countries has issued a sharp rebuke of Israel’s conduct in occupied Palestine, demanding an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza.
In a joint declaration, 25 nations, including 17 from the European Union and 8 from outside the bloc, called for the protection of Palestinian civilians and the urgent restoration of humanitarian access.
The signatories include Italy, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden from the EU, along with Australia, Canada, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Japan.
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They were joined by Hadja Lahbib, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management.
Noticeably absent from the declaration are the United States and Germany.
“We firmly oppose any initiative aimed at changing the territory or demography in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” the foreign ministers stated, in what appeared to be a direct challenge to Israel’s ongoing settlement policies.
This warning follows previous international statements of concern, but the growing frustration suggests that future actions might not stop at rhetorical condemnation.
The coalition further affirmed its readiness to pursue “further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political path to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire region,” though concrete measures were not outlined.
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The statement criticized the intensifying construction of settlements in the West Bank, especially in East Jerusalem, pointing to the concurrent surge in settler attacks on Palestinian civilians.
“The building of settlements throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been accelerated,” the declaration stated, “while settler violence against Palestinians has increased dramatically. This must stop.”
The joint declaration also condemned recent Israeli proposals to forcibly transfer Palestinians from Gaza to so-called “humanitarian cities,” rejecting these plans as a breach of international law. “Their permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law,” the statement warned.
Finally, the declaration took aim at Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid, condemning both the system of limited and delayed deliveries and the violent targeting of civilians seeking essential supplies.
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“The Israeli government’s aid distribution model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives the citizens of Gaza of human dignity,” the statement said, adding, “the trickle distribution of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, trying to meet their most basic needs for water and food” has sparked unanimous outrage.
(PC, Euronews)
This statement is HUGE, considering that even Permanent UN members also signed it… israel, as expected, rejected it.. but that means Nothing… it’s like rejecting there is a moon… you can refuse to see it, but that does not mean it is not there. IF Hamas were now to announce the release of 5 hostages, not giving israel any choice or opinion on the matter, netanyahu and his henchmen would be helpless… As an early christian put it, such an act of ” seeming ” mercy would pour coals of fire on israel’s head.
italy? austria? france? netherlands? .. united shithole kingdom?? These are countries that are supplying arms and fully collaborating with the israelites in this unparalleled sadistic genocide. Is this some kind of evil joke ???
And yet many of these countries continue to give “aid” to Israel, military, economically, in their media, and even “morally”, if we can still use that word. Most of them are hypocrites of the worst kind. Portugal did not want the words “Gazans have a right to food” in a statement by the CPLP, Community of Portuguese speaking countries. The Netherlands is the country in Europe with the most economical ties to Israel. Most of them just don’t care enough.