AhlulBayt News Agency : The foreign ministers of Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom strongly condemned the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to launch a new, large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.
In a joint statement, the ministers said, “The plans announced by the Government of Israel risk violating international humanitarian law.” The statement added, “We are united in our commitment to achieving a two-state solution through negotiations.”
The five foreign ministers called on Israel to urgently find solutions to amend the new registration system it has recently imposed on international humanitarian organizations.
Meanwhile, France on Friday evening strongly condemned the Israeli occupation government’s plan to occupy the Gaza Strip, warning that it could lead to a “complete dead end,” according to a statement by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Paris affirmed its “strong opposition to any plan to occupy the Gaza Strip and forcibly displace its residents.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote in a post on the “X” platform that “the complete occupation of Gaza will only worsen the already catastrophic situation in Gaza.”
For his part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “deep concern over the Israeli government’s decision to seize control of Gaza City.”
A statement issued by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson said that this decision represents a serious escalation and risks further deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians, potentially putting more lives at risk.
The statement noted that Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure a humanitarian disaster of horrific proportions, warning that “this additional escalation will lead to further forced displacement, killings, and massive destruction, compounding the unimaginable suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza.”
The Secretary-General renewed his urgent call for a permanent ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Gaza, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and detainees.
On Friday, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, escalating its brutal aggression against the devastated Palestinian territory and displacing the city’s residents from the north to the south.
This move has sparked renewed criticism both domestically and internationally, with growing concerns over a war that has lasted for nearly two years.
The plan begins with occupying Gaza City by displacing its roughly one million residents to the south, then surrounding the city and carrying out incursions into residential areas. The second phase includes occupying refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, large parts of which have already been destroyed.
According to UN data, 87% of the territory of the war-torn Palestinian enclave is now either under Israeli occupation or subject to evacuation orders. The UN warned that any further military expansion would have catastrophic consequences.
In a related development, the UN Security Council will hold a meeting today, Saturday, to discuss Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza City.
Diplomatic sources said the Security Council meeting will take place at 19:00 GMT at the request of several council member states, amid mounting international concern over the Israeli plan.
Several countries had earlier requested an emergency Security Council meeting. Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour told reporters earlier today: “As we speak, several countries, on our behalf and in their own right, will request a Security Council meeting.”
Early Friday morning, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved the plan to occupy Gaza City in what has been described as the most dangerous step since the start of the war, effectively paving the way to empty the city and impose a new military settlement reality under the pretext of eliminating the resistance.
The Cabinet’s decision was met with sharp international criticism and warnings of grave humanitarian and security repercussions, amid heightened concern for the fate of Palestinian civilians and the Israeli captives inside the Strip.
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