The UK, France and Canada are “terrifying” with the military escalation in Gaza, threatening to take “concrete action” against Israel if new attacks and lift aid restrictions are stopped.
“We want to record the horrifying escalation from Israel today… we repeat our demands for a ceasefire,” British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer told the British Parliament on Tuesday.
On Monday, starmer, together with France’s Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Mark Kearney, issued a joint statement calling Israel’s escalation “completely disproportionate.”
“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is unbearable,” the leader said he was condemning Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank. “Israel must stop illegal settlements and will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the three countries of offering “huge awards” to Palestinian group Hamas as they launched Operation Gideon to control everything in Gaza in early March after cutting off food, fuel and medical aid.
The three leaders condemned Netanyahu’s move the day before, allowing several trucks to enclaves that were besieged as “inadequate” after nearly three months of lockdown, warning that the Israeli government risked violating international humanitarian law. Israel reportedly was allowed on just a few tracks on Monday, but more were expected on Tuesday.
They said they would not “facing” Israel while pursuing “bad behaviour,” stressing “abhorrent words” by pushing Palestinians out of Gaza, which was used by members of the Israeli government, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and stressed that their forced displacement was illegal.
Husam Zumlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, told Al Jazeera that the “number one” that the three countries can create is to impose an arms embargo on Israel. “The UK has taken some steps to suspend some arms exports. That’s not enough. It has to be complete and comprehensive,” he said.
Zumlot also said the state should act to ensure that “war criminals” are “bearing responsibility.” “They must absolutely support our efforts in the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice,” he said.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for occupied Palestinian territory, questioned how threatened sanctions could be targeted. “Who are you targeting? We need to impose sanctions on the state. It’s not about the prime minister. This is the entire government company,” she told Al Jazeera on Monday.
French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barott said on Tuesday that partial lifting of Israel’s lockdown on Monday was “completely insufficient.”
“Indiscriminate violence and the Israeli government’s bloc of humanitarian assistance” has transformed the besieged territory into a “death trap,” he told France Inter Radio.
In a report from the Jordanian capital Amman, Al Jazeera’s Hamda Salhat questioned whether international pressure would have a major impact on Netanyahu, pointing to his intention to push his belief that his country is fighting “an absolute victory” and his “war on civilizations against Barbarism.”
“They say expanding military ground attacks are the only way they can move forward,” she said.
“Cruelty in the Genocide”
The three leaders issued a joint statement urging Israel to seek assistance to Gaza, warning that the population is facing “hunger.”
A statement released Monday said humanitarian aid should never be politicized and that, with the aim of Israel’s “new model,” the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aims to provide supplies under Israeli military protection.
“It puts beneficiaries and workers at risk, undermine the role and independence of the UN and trustworthy partners, and links humanitarian assistance to political and military purposes,” the statement urged Israel to continue life-saving work for the UN and aid.
Al Jazeera Stepwesen, reporting from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, noted that the statement was issued before the European Union Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, and is expected to see that the bloc’s trade agreement with Israel will come during review.
“What we’re looking at is a shift after the ongoing year and a half in Gaza, and this food blockade leads to public protest,” she said.
Human rights group Amnesty International said it was “outrageous and morally condemned” for the world to pressure Israel to lift the siege.
As the world was attracting attention on Israel, the military surged a deadly attack across the strip. According to a daily update by the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 87 people have been killed and 290 have been injured during the last 24 hours of reporting period.
The victims totaled 53,573 people killed in Gaza during the war, with 121,688 people injured, the ministry said.
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