Israel's Security Cabinet on Thursday approved controversial proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
BRUSSELS — Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza drew strong criticism from several European countries on Friday, with leaders warning that the move risks violating international law and further deepening the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Israel to “reconsider immediately,” warning that escalating the offensive “will only bring more bloodshed” and will not help end the conflict or secure the release of hostages.
“The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately,” Starmer said, according to a statement from Downing Street.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also condemned Israel’s decision on X, saying it would “only cause further destruction and suffering.”
“A lasting peace in the region can only be achieved by implementing the two-state solution, which includes a realistic and viable State of Palestine,” he added.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney blasted the Israeli move to seize control of Gaza City as “completely and utterly unacceptable,” urging the international community to act to stop Israel and secure a ceasefire.
“It will create even more human suffering for the Palestinian people and further escalate the conflict. The international community must stop Israel and secure a ceasefire,” he wrote on X.
Maria Malmer Stenergard, Sweden’s migration minister, voiced serious concern over the Israeli government’s decision, stressing that any attempt to annex or alter the territory of Gaza would be a breach of international law.
“I have previously reiterated that any attempt to annex, change or reduce the territory of Gaza would violate international law,” she said, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that the plan contradicts the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel must end its occupation “as soon as possible.”
“On all evidence to date, this further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes,” he said in a statement.
Israel’s ground operations in Gaza have been ongoing since October 2023, with interruptions during two ceasefires.
On Thursday, the Israeli Security Cabinet also approved five key principles for concluding the war: dismantling the Palestinian group Hamas, securing the return of all hostages – both alive and deceased – demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, ensuring Israeli security “control” over the area, and establishing a civilian government not led by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
This new operation by Israel, expected to last at least six months, comes despite Tel Aviv facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,000 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing widespread famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. — AA
