The United Kingdom, France and Canada have threatened to take “concrete measures” against Israel if it does not stop its resumption of the military offensive in Gaza and to raise restrictions, while its soldiers are doubled from its deadly campaign in the enclave.
“We firmly oppose the expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” said a joint declaration published by the leaders of the countries – Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney – Monday, who also condemned the expansion of the colonies in the west bank, in front of the “targeted sanctions”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched the tanks of Operation Gideon in order to control all Gaza after cutting food, fuel and medical aid in early March, accused the three countries of having offered a “huge price” to the Palestinian group Hamas, which currently holds dozens of Israeli captives.
The three leaders criticized Netanyahu’s decision the day before to allow a few trucks in the besieged enclave after almost three months of total blockade as “inadequate”, warning that the Israeli government has risked raping international humanitarian law. Israel would have authorized only a few trucks on Monday.
They said that they would not “remain” while Israel continued “blatant actions”, highlighting the “odious language” on the push of the Palestinians of Gaza used by members of the Israeli government as the Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, and stressing that this forced displacement would be illegal.
Husam Zumlot, Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom, told Tel Aviv Tribune that the “number” thing that the three countries could do was impose an arms embargo in Israel. “The United Kingdom has taken certain measures to suspend certain arms exports. It is not enough. It must be complete and complete,” he said.
Zumlot also said that states should act to ensure that “war criminals” were “held responsible”. “They must absolutely support our efforts to the International Criminal Court and to the International Court of Justice,” he said.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for occupied Palestinian territories, wondered how threatened sanctions would be targeted. “Target who? You must impose sanctions on the state. It is not the Prime Minister. It is the whole government company,” she told Tel Aviv Tribune on Monday.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, said on Tuesday that the partial lifting of Israel of the blockade on Monday was “completely insufficient”.
“Blind violence and the blocking of humanitarian aid by the Israeli government” had transformed the besieged territory into “a deadly trap”, he told France Inter Radio.
Reporting the capital of Jordan, Amman, Hamdah Salhut of Tel Aviv Tribune wondered if the international pressure would have a lot of effect on Netanyahu, stressing his intention previously expressed to continue until “absolute victory” and his conviction that his country was fighting a “war of civilization against barbarism”.
“They say that the expanding military soil offensive is the only way for them to move forward,” she said.
“ Cruelty in the middle of the genocide ”
The three leaders have spoken out as 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, have published a joint declaration urging Israel to leave aid to Gaza, warning that the population was confronted with “famine”.
The declaration, published on Monday, said that humanitarian aid should never be politicized, targeting the “new model” of aid from Israel, which would see the Gaza humanitarian foundation supported by the United States offering supplies under Israeli military protection.
“He places beneficiaries and humanitarian workers in danger, undermines the role and independence of the United Nations and our trust partners, and links humanitarian aid to political and military objectives,” the statement said, who called Israel to leave the UN and assistance organizations to continue their life work.
The Vaessen step of Tel Aviv Tribune, postponing from Amsterdam to the Netherlands, noted that the declaration had been published before Tuesday meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs in Brussels, where the Bloc’s trade agreement with Israel is expected to be under exam.
“What we see is a change after a year and a half of bombing in progress on Gaza, with this blockade on food leading to a public outcry,” she said.
The organization of human rights, Amnesty International, said that it was “scandalous and morally reprehensible” that the world took “almost 80 days of famine and cruelty in the middle of the genocide” to exert pressure on Israel to raise its seat.
While the world focused on its attention to Israel, the army has intensified its fatal attacks through the strip, killing more than 73 people since midnight, including at least three children killed by drone fire in the Khan Younis refugee camp.
The killings intervene after a day of ferocious Israeli attacks which made at least 126 dead Palestinians, according to doctors.
