Israel argued that a sufficient amount of goods entered the Strip during a six-week ceasefire and that Hamas has been stealing much of that aid.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the immediate resumption of “basic” humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday evening, making a highly unpopular decision among his right-wing circles in light of mounting pressure from Washington to end the blockade.
The massacre that sparked the war saw thousands of Hamas-led terrorists rampage through southern communities, murdering some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages to Gaza.
Terrorists are still holding 58 hostages, of whom 35 have been confirmed dead by Israel.
Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved,” Netanyahu concluded.
In a joint statement on Monday, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Canada denounced Israel’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and urged the Jewish state to immediately cease its military operations in the enclave and permit the entry of additional aid, threatening “further concrete actions in response” if Jerusalem does not comply.
In addition to calling Israel’s decision to permit a small amount of aid into Gaza “wholly inadequate,” the three leaders said that the country’s failure to provide aid to the civilian population in Gaza “is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law.”. “”.
London, Paris, and Ottawa were “offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities,” Netanyahu retaliated in a statement. “.”.
The three Western nations urged Israel to work with the UN “to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles” in their earlier statement. “.”.
For the first time since Israel stopped providing aid in March 1 to put pressure on the terror group to free the dozens of hostages it is holding, five aid trucks made their way into Gaza on Monday. Israel contended that Hamas has been stealing a large portion of the aid that was brought into the Strip during a six-week ceasefire. But in recent weeks, some IDF officials have started alerting the political leadership to the enclave’s impending starvation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under growing pressure from Washington to lift the blockade, made a very unpopular decision among his right-wing circles on Sunday night when he ordered the immediate resumption of “basic” humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
The aid started to arrive in the Strip as the military moved forward with a new operation in Gaza called “Gideon’s Chariots,” which Israeli officials said would see the IDF “conquer” Gaza, destroy the great majority of its buildings, and hold onto the territory for the foreseeable future; attack Hamas and stop it from seizing control of humanitarian aid supplies; and relocate Palestinians from the northern to the southern part of Gaza.
Using “abhorrent language… threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate,” the UK, France, and Canada on Monday denounced the idea of “permanent forced displacement” of Gazan civilians. “.”.
The statement also said, “We demand that Hamas immediately free the remaining hostages they have brutally detained since October 7, 2023.”.
Israel was the target of a horrific attack on October 7. We have consistently upheld Israel’s right to protect its citizens from terrorism. However, the statement claimed that this escalation was completely out of proportion.
During the war-starting massacre, thousands of Hamas-led terrorists ravaged southern communities, killing about 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and capturing 251 hostages to transport to Gaza. 35 of the 58 hostages that terrorists are still holding have been officially declared dead by Israel.
On Monday, the countries also stated that they “will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions,” if the settlements in the West Bank are not stopped. They said that the growth of these settlements would “undermine the viability of a Palestinian state.”.
Asserting that a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, in conjunction with “a long-term political solution,” provide the best means of resolving the conflict and “ending Hamas’s control of Gaza and achieving a pathway to a two-state solution, consistent with the goals of the June 18 conference in New York co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France,” the three nations praised the efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. “.”.
The statement added, “We will continue to work with the Palestinian Authority, regional partners, Israel, and the United States to finalize consensus on arrangements for Gaza’s future, building on the Arab plan.” The June conference will focus on fostering international cooperation on this issue.
The Israeli government has rejected the Arab plan’s idea of an independent committee of technocrats ruling Gaza for six months before transferring control of the Strip to the Palestinian Authority. In contrast to US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the entire population be relocated, it allows Palestinians to stay in the Strip while it is being rebuilt.
It proposes a UN Security Council resolution that would send international peacekeeping forces to Gaza. Under the plan, police officers from the Palestinian Authority will be trained by Egypt and Jordan in the interim before being sent to Gaza to enforce law and order.
The Arab plan, however, does not effectively address Hamas; rather, it maintains that the only way to completely address armed groups in Gaza is through a political process that creates a Palestinian state, a conclusion that Netanyahu’s administration opposes.
“The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled, and Gaza is demilitarized,” read a statement from Netanyahu’s office in response to the joint statement.
Israel will not accept anything less, and no country can be expected to do so. “.”.
As opposed to the two-state solution path that the three leaders contended was the best way to end the conflict, the PMO reportedly offered support for the American president’s plan to seize Gaza and rid it of its Palestinians. “Israel accepts [US] President [Donald] Trump’s vision and urges all European leaders to do the same,” the PMO said.
“Civilization is fighting barbarism. Until complete victory is attained, Israel will keep defending itself with just methods,” Netanyahu said.
After the partial lifting of its blockade on the territory, another joint statement signed by 22 donor nations on Monday called on Israel to “permit a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately.”.
France and Germany were among the nations’ foreign ministers who stated that “the people of the war-torn region “face famine” and “must receive the aid they desperately need,” even though “we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid.”. “”.
Additionally, foreign ministers from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom signed the statement.
