The leaders of the United Kingdom, Canada and France threatened to take “concrete actions”, including directed sanctions against Israel on Monday (19) if the country does not interrupt a new military offensive in Gaza and suspend humanitarian aid restrictions, further increasing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli army announced the beginning of a new operation on Friday (16) and earlier on Monday, Netanyahu said Israel would take control of the entire Gaza Strip.
International experts have already warned of imminent hunger.
“Denial by the Israeli government of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and is in danger of violating international humanitarian law,” said a joint statement issued by the British government.
“If Israel does not cease the new military offensive and suspend its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take new concrete measures in response.”
Regarding the settlement activity, they added: “We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank… We will not hesitate to take new measures, including targeted sanctions.”
In response, Netanyahu said that “leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7, while inviting more similar atrocities.”
He stated that Israel will defend himself by fair means until total victory is reached, reiterating the conditions for the end of the war, which include the release of the remaining hostages and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli government has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies in Gaza since early March to try to press Hamas to release the hostages that the Palestinian militant group took on October 7, 2023, when he attacked Israeli communities.
“We always support Israel’s right to defend the Israelis against terrorism. But this climb is totally disproportionate,” the three Western leaders said in the joint statement. They stated that they would not stand still until the government of Netanyahu performed “these blatant actions.”
They declared their support for the efforts led by the United States, pick up and Egypt for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and said they were committed to recognizing a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution for the conflict.
Hamas greeted the joint statement, describing the position as “an important step” in the right direction for the restoration of the principles of international law.
The Israeli land and air war devastated Gaza, shifting almost all of its residents and killing more than 53,000 people, many of them civilians, according to the territory’s health authorities.
The war began with the attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in which the militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli data.
This content was originally published in the United Kingdom, Canada and France threaten Israel with sanctions for attacks on Gaza on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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