UK, France, Canada threaten sanctions if Israel continues Gaza offensive
The European and Canadian governments have warned that they will take "concrete measures" if Israel does not end its operation and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused France, the United Kingdom, and Canada of "rewarding Hamas" for criticizing the Israeli offensive.
United Kingdom, France and Canada demanded that Israel "immediately and fully resume" humanitarian aid shipments to the Gaza Strip or face "concrete measures."
"If Israel does not end its new military offensive or lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take other concrete measures in response," French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a joint statement
While they did not specify what sanctions might be imposed, the three leaders vowed that they would not stand idly by as the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu continues these outrageous actions.
In the past, the UK has imposed financial sanctions against three illegal settlements and four organizations "that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the (occupied) West Bank."
Israel is seeking to seize control of the Gaza Strip to defeat the Islamist movement Hamas, which attacked Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, but the UN warns of the growing risk of famine in a blockaded Gaza.
"Israel suffered a terrible attack on October 7," the leaders commented. "We have always supported Israel's right to defend Israelis from terrorism, but this escalation is completely disproportionate," they added in their statement
Macron, Carney, and Starmer also condemned the "hateful language recently used by members of the Israeli government" and warned that the continued forced displacement of civilians violates international humanitarian law. Regarding the conference planned for June 18 in New York on the two-state solution, they pledge to "work with the Palestinian Authority, regional partners, Israel, and the United States to achieve consensus on arrangements for the future of Gaza, based on the Arab plan."
"We are determined to recognize a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution, and we stand ready to work with others to that end," the leaders of France, Canada, and the United Kingdom added
For his part, Netanyahu said that "by calling on Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before the Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders of London, Ottawa, and Paris are offering an immense price for the genocidal attack against Israel on October 7, while opening the door to more similar atrocities," the Israeli prime minister said in a statement. The Hamas attack left 1,218 dead, according to a count based on official Israeli data.
The Islamists also kidnapped 251 people that day. Of these, 57 remain captive in Gaza, although 34 were declared dead by the Israeli army. According to the latest report from the Gaza Ministry of Health, the Israeli offensive has already left more than 53,486 dead in the territory, a figure considered reliable by the UN.
On Tuesday, rescuers in the Gaza Strip reported the deaths of at least 44 people from Israeli airstrikes, which have intensified their military operations in the devastated Palestinian territory in recent days.
Twenty-two countries demand that Israel change its stance
The statements by the United Kingdom, Canada, and France coincided with a broader call by 18 countries demanding that Israel "immediately resume full aid to the Gaza Strip," organized by the United Nations and NGOs. Nine trucks carrying UN humanitarian aid were allowed into the Gaza Strip on Monday, UN humanitarian operations chief Tom Fletcher announced, calling the influx a "drop in the ocean." The Israeli government only confirmed the arrival of five trucks carrying aid.
The people of Gaza "are facing famine" and "must receive the aid they desperately need," urge the foreign ministries of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
"Humanitarian aid must never be politicized, and the Palestinian territory must not be reduced or subjected to any demographic change," they added.