1 day Ago
Aid Access and Civilian Suffering Emphasized
Since March 2, no food, fuel and medical supplies have entered Gaza, and the United Nations has reported that the blockade is taking "a heavy toll" on the civilian population. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that a "basic amount of food" would be allowed in following an 11-week blockade, but he vowed Israel would still seek "control of all of Gaza."
The three Western leaders' joint statement criticized the restricted access to aid as "wholly inadequate" and expressed concern that continued restrictions on essential supplies could be considered a violation of International Humanitarian Law. They called it an "intolerable" situation in Gaza, and the UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, saying the assistance that did get to Gaza fell "far short of what is urgently needed."
Demand for hostage release and ceasefire
They also urged Hamas to free the rest of the hostages still held from the October 7, 2023 raid in southern Israel which killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. Of those, 58 remain in Gaza, and as many as 23 are thought still to be alive.
More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli military campaign started, Gaza's health ministry, which is run by Hamas, says. The UK, France and Canada reiterated their support for a ceasefire and the stalled "two-state solution," which theoretically calls for an independent Palestinian state to live alongside Israel.
Netanyahu Defies Pressure, Defends Military Actions
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel condemned the joint statement, saying the leaders were offering a "huge prize" to Hamas by pressing for a halt to Israel's warfare before the Islamic militant group is vanquished. Such demands, he said, would be glorifying the attack of October 7 and may roll out the red carpet for such actions in the future.
Netanyahu also called on other European leaders to support the formula that has already been put out by his American counterpart Donald Trump as a remedy to the lingering problems in the region.
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