Ashraf AboArafe
The foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy have strongly rejected the Israeli Security Cabinet’s 8 August decision to launch a new large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.
The statement warned that such an action would further worsen the humanitarian catastrophe, endanger the lives of hostages, and heighten the risk of mass displacement of civilians. The ministers stressed that Israel’s announced plans risk violating international humanitarian law, and reiterated that any attempts to annex territory or expand settlements constitute a clear breach of international law.
They urged the international community to act swiftly to end the ongoing conflict by enforcing an immediate and lasting ceasefire, enabling the rapid and unhindered delivery of large-scale humanitarian aid, as famine conditions loom in Gaza. They also called on Hamas to release all hostages immediately and unconditionally, ensuring their humane treatment and protection from mistreatment or humiliation.
Highlighting the dire humanitarian situation, the ministers pressed the Israeli government to urgently amend its recently implemented registration system for international humanitarian organizations to ensure these vital actors can continue delivering essential aid to civilians in Gaza. They warned that excluding such organizations would send a deeply negative signal.
The statement reaffirmed their united commitment to a negotiated two-state solution as the only viable path for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace, security, and dignity. Achieving such a settlement, they said, requires the complete disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from any role in governing Gaza, with the Palestinian Authority playing a central role in the territory’s administration.
