Six European Countries Condemn Israeli Occupation's Plans To Take Over Gaza City

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) MADRID, Aug 29 (KUNA) -- The foreign ministers of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain strongly condemned on Friday the most recent Israeli occupation's offensive in the Gaza Strip and its plans to establish a permanent presence in Gaza City.
"We reiterate that the intensification of military operations...will lead to the intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians, including women, children and elderly people," the foreign ministers said in a joint statement.
"We also denounce the forced displacement of Palestinians, which represents a flagrant violation of international law."
They warned that this new offensive in Gaza City is opening a new phase of uncertainty and intolerable suffering for both sides.
"The systematic destruction of essential civilian infrastructure, including locations that serve as refuge for extremely vulnerable displaced civilians, is unacceptable," they stressed.
"We urge the Israeli government to immediately reconsider its decision and cease operations. This spiral of violence must end."
They stated that they were horrified by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification's (IPC) confirmation of famine in Gaza Governorate and the projected spread to surrounding areas in the coming weeks.
"We call on Israel to uphold its humanitarian obligations, as required under international law. The humanitarian situation remains critical and must immediately be addressed," the top diplomats urged.
"UN agencies and NGOs must be allowed to fully operate on the ground to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe, according to humanitarian principles. Immediate and large scale humanitarian action is needed."
They also expressed their deepest concerns regarding the expansion of settlement construction in the West Bank, which is illegal according to international law.
"We call on Israel to reverse its decision. We are further alarmed by the actions of violent settlers who appear to be acting with impunity."
The European officials cautioned that the ongoing Israeli occupation's war in Gaza and military operations in the West Bank represent a serious obstacle to the implementation of the two-State solution, which is the only path towards long-lasting peace.
"The international community will not remain silent in the face of human rights violations, and we will continue working intensively for peace. We will continue supporting mediation efforts and we urge both sides to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement that will pave the way towards peace," they said.
"We also continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages and the rapid and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza. We all need peace and stability to return to the region." (end)
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