(LifeSiteNews) — Foreign ministers representing 28 Western nations signed a joint letter condemning Israel for its “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” in Gaza while calling for “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” to end the genocidal war.
The national governments that signed on to the letter include the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The foreign ministers condemned the U.S.-backed Israeli “aid” system in Gaza that is run by an organization called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
After Israel’s March 2 reinstitution of a total blockade on all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, in late May, when the starvation in the enclave became catastrophic, Israel announced a plan to distribute food and water in a few locations in the south of the Strip through the GHF.
This system corralled the besieged population into a small area where Israeli army commanders often ordered their soldiers to fire on them, massacring hundreds, and such killings continue today.
“The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,” the signatories said. “We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”
“It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid,” the nations emphasized. “The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.”
Echoing repeated demands by Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis before him, the chief diplomats called upon “the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.”
READ: Pope Leo speaks with Palestinian president, echoes ‘urgent’ demand for humanitarian aid
The 28 foreign ministers also condemned Hamas for its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and its retaining of hostages taken on this day, though they did not mention over 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners (i.e. “hostages”) being held by the Israeli government.
Demanding the “immediate and unconditional release” of the Israeli hostages, they affirmed that a “negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.”
And to that end, they urged the “the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire.”
Though Hamas has maintained their offer of the same terms, agreeing to release the remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, Israel has rejected these offers and blamed Hamas for the continuing of Israel’s genocidal onslaught against the Palestinians in Gaza.
According to reliable reports from the Gaza Health Ministry, the U.S.-backed Israeli military killed at least 72 Palestinians on Tuesday alone, including at least 26 aid seekers.
Since the GHF began its operations in the strip, the ministry reports the Israeli army has killed 1,026 Palestinians seeking aid distributions and wounded 6,563.
The United Nations puts this number of deaths higher at 1,054. Additionally, they document 101 deaths due to starvation or malnutrition, including 80 children, while recent reports indicate a rapidly escalating rate of such deaths.
Israel is starving Gaza to death.
Babies shrink instead of grow.
Aid sites become death traps.
Doctors say children arrive as “skeletons.”
This is deliberate.Read the report: https://t.co/a2K4Qk8b54
— Mondoweiss (@Mondoweiss) July 23, 2025
In total, since October 7, 2023, the health ministry reports the death toll to be 59,106, with 142,511 injured. Yet studies have found that these verified numbers are likely a significant undercount.
Governments must ‘take decisive action’ to end ‘mass starvation’
On Wednesday, 111 international organizations sounded the alarm that the “mass starvation” being inflicted on Gaza by the Israeli government was now threatening the lives of aid workers themselves.
“Just outside Gaza, in warehouses — and even within Gaza itself — tons of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel sit untouched with humanitarian organizations blocked from accessing or delivering it,” the statement reads. “The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death.”
READ: Jewish Israelis confront Gaza genocide with photos of slain children
The signatories of the statement, which include the Catholic charity Caritas and Doctors Without Borders, emphatically stated, “Governments must stop waiting for permission to act. We cannot continue to hope that current arrangements will work.”
“It is time to take decisive action: demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire; lift all bureaucratic and administrative restrictions; open all land crossings; ensure access to everyone in all of Gaza; reject military-controlled distribution models; restore a principled, UN-led humanitarian response; and continue to fund principled and impartial humanitarian organizations. States must pursue concrete measures to end the siege, such as halting the transfer of weapons and ammunition,” the organizations said.
‘Coercive’ even military intervention by nations ‘an obligation’ and ‘not an act of charity’
In a late June interview, Francesca Albanese, the U.N.’s Special Rapporteur on the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories, said that under international law, governments are obligated to utilize “coercive measures” against Israel to end this genocidal starvation campaign.
Given the situation “is strategic” and “intentional from Israel, it’s a stain for all of us,” the Italian legal scholar said. “The sacrifice of the Palestinians in Gaza will continue unless there is an arms embargo and unless the siege is broken. And it cannot happen without coercive measures.”
READ: Starvation in Gaza turning people into ‘monsters,’ a ‘stage of pre-humanity’: UN official
“Why have European states or Arab states not sent their navies to break the blockade? It must be done,” she said.
“It’s an obligation, it’s not an act of charity. They must break the siege. And it’s already too late,” the official said.
The foreign ministers ended their statement claiming their respective nations “are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.”
But the proposal or intention to employ concrete and effective “coercive measures” has not been forthcoming.
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