UK, France, Canada warn Israel of sanctions over Gaza war

The United Kingdom, France, and Canada have issued a joint warning to Israel, threatening to take “concrete actions” if the country continues its intensified military operations in Gaza, BBC reported on Monday.

In a coordinated statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called on Israel to “stop its military operations” and “immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza”.

The leaders described the humanitarian situation as “intolerable,” pointing to a complete blockade that has prevented food, fuel, and medicine from entering the region since early March.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the criticism, accusing the Western leaders of rewarding Hamas by pushing for an end to the war before the militant group is defeated.

He argued that calls for a Palestinian state and ceasefire would embolden further attacks on Israel.

Over the weekend, Netanyahu said Israel would allow “basic amount of food” into Gaza following an 11-week blockade but reaffirmed intentions to maintain control over the entire territory.

The joint response from the UK, France, and Canada called this move “wholly inadequate” and warned it could violate international humanitarian law.

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The statement also condemned rhetoric from some members of the Israeli government that implied forced displacement of civilians, reiterating that such actions would breach legal norms.

The United Nations has echoed these concerns. Tom Fletcher, UN humanitarian relief chief, described the current level of aid access as “a drop in the ocean” compared to the scale of need.

While reaffirming Israel’s right to defend itself, the three nations stressed that the military escalation has become disproportionate.

They also urged Hamas to release the hostages taken during the 7 October 2023 attacks, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. According to Israeli estimates, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, with up to 23 believed to be alive.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.

The joint statement reiterated calls for a ceasefire and support for a two-state solution, proposing the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Netanyahu rejected this proposal, invoking United States President Donald Trump’s vision for resolving the conflict and calling on European leaders to follow that approach.