France, Germany, and the UK have voiced deep concern over Israel’s halt of humanitarian aid to Gaza, urging sustained ceasefire efforts and unhindered aid delivery.
France, Germany, and the UK on Wednesday expressed “deep concern” over Israel’s suspension of humanitarian aid to Gaza, urging parties to engage in negotiations for the next phases of the ceasefire deal.
“It is vital that the ceasefire is sustained, all the hostages are released, and continued flows of humanitarian aid to Gaza are ensured,” said a joint statement from the foreign ministers of the E3 countries – France, Germany, and the UK.
The statement welcomed Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediation efforts to extend the ceasefire and called for constructive engagement to ensure a permanent end to hostilities.
Catastrophic Conditions in Gaza
The E3 described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic,” urging Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure “full, rapid, safe, and unhindered” aid delivery.
They warned that suspending goods and supplies entering Gaza “would risk violating International Humanitarian Law,” emphasizing that humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool.
4 days ago Israel started blocking all aid from entering Gaza, which is collective punishment, a violation of international law & a war crime.
4 days later the govts of Britain, France & Germany ask Israel, please don’t do that. pic.twitter.com/edvskkuyD5
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) March 5, 2025
Call for Sustainable Peace
The statement stressed the need for all parties to uphold the ceasefire, rebuild Gaza, and work toward a two-state solution.
“We need all parties to uphold the ceasefire and ensure it leads to a sustainable peace, the reconstruction of Gaza, and to allow for a credible pathway towards a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace,” it added.
Background
The statement followed Israel’s decision to halt aid shipments hours after the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement between Hamas and Israel expired.
The initial six-week truce, effective from January 19, ended at midnight on Saturday. Israel has not agreed to proceed to the second phase of the deal, which aims to permanently end the war in Gaza.
The Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed over 48,000 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
(PC, AA)
How would this planned further erasure and destruction, bombing and killing in any way suit: Distinction and Proportionality?
It really looks like a collective mania to kill and destroy, every sign of life.
Erase the civil society, parts of a population and with it, as much signs of an other group of people, who are already lost almost all, in 15 month of intense shelling, death and destruction,to survive this indiscriminate bombing and ground incursions, while under siege.
Where not much, infrastructure, was still left afterwards.
And then there is the other escalatory military operation, of destructions, forced displacements and excessive force, inside the refugee camps of the Westbank